Kubasaki junior Luka Koja threw a no-hitter over Kadena five days after getting hit around in a 14-7 loss at American School In Japan. The left-hander said he needs to prepare for the Far East Division I Tournament at Nile C. Kinnick, where the turf field is the same as the one at ASIJ. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

For Luka Koja, five days made a huge difference.

The Kubasaki junior left-hander tossed a no-hitter Wednesday as the Dragons shut out Kadena 10-0 at Camp Foster’s Field 1 – five days after he allowed eight hits, six walks and eight earned runs in a 14-7 loss at American School In Japan.

“He had command of all hits pitches and he felt comfortable playing on his home field,” Dragons coach Aaron Fisk said.

It was a vast difference between playing on Kubasaki’s grass field and ASIJ’s artificial turf, Koja said.

“It was a different mound, a different size, a different field; it was hard for me to adjust to the condition,” Koja said.

Koja struck out five Panthers, allowing just one walk and hitting one batter, facing two batters over the minimum in six innings. He threw 43 of 57 pitches for strikes.

“He had everything working,” Fisk said, adding that Koja threw the right pitches on the right counts. “And the defense behind him helped him. It was fun to watch.”

Koja sounded a cautionary note to his Wednesday success. He said he knows that during the Far East Division I tournament later this month, he has to play on a turf field and artificial mound similar to ASIJ’s.

“It makes me want to prepare for Far East,” Koja said. “I have to work on how to locate my pitches and my landing zone.”

The D-I Far East is scheduled for April 29-May 2 at Yokosuka Naval Base’s Berkey Field, home to Nile C. Kinnick. The Dragons next face Kadena on April 10, again on Foster Field 1.