Edgren players dogpile after capturing their first D-II Far East baseball title since 2013. (E.J. King baseball)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A week after throwing his first career no-hitter, Charles Richardson probably topped that with a shutout that helped his team end a 13-year Far East Division II Baseball Tournament title drought.
The sophomore right-hander scattered five hits and allowed one walk while striking out nine as Robert D. Edgren won its first D-II title since 2013, blanking Matthew C. Perry 5-0 Friday at Yokota Park.
“There has been a lot of good times for me playing this sport, but this might be the top one,” Richardson said, minutes after the game. “It feels hard to believe. This might be the happiest I’ve ever felt.”
“He was locked in and ready for his moment,” longtime Eagles coach Brett Lehner said. “He did amazing. I can’t say enough how lucky we are to have him on our team.”
The win helped the Eagles avenge last year’s 9-3 defeat at Zama in the D-II finals. Edgren won the first two D-II tournaments but had gone without since 2013.
For Edgren to win a Far East title, the Eagles have a couple of major obstacles to overcome.
Over the eight-week season, the team is usually forced to practice indoors, with snow covering the field until late March or early April. Then, there are the 10-hour bus rides to and from the Tokyo area, where their nearest DODEA-Japan opponents are based.
“Our first game is usually the first time for us to see a field,” Lehner said. “To go from that to what we have now, you have to tip your hat to the kids. The travel and also the snow. But they’re in there, day in and day out. I’m proud of what they do, on and off the field.”
Edgren got the only run it needed in the first inning when Isaac French singled and then stole his way around the bases, scoring on a double steal with Liam McDonald taking second with two outs.
It remained 1-0 until the fifth inning, when Louis Dominguez singled in Ethan Wong. French scored on an outfield throwing error.
In the sixth, Haruki Jones singled in McDonald. Then with the bases loaded and two out, Jacob Wolfe was hit by a pitch, scoring Toby Davidson.
“It wasn’t the result we wanted, but it was the next-best thing,” Samurai coach A.J. Edwards said.
Edwards hugged Richardson after the game, telling him that there was no better pitcher to win than he was.
“Big redemption for him, especially after last year,” Edwards said, adding that he was “100 percent” proud of his players despite the finals loss. “From where we started in February to where we are now … we came together as a team.”
