Kubasaki's Joe Smith throws to first during the team's first game Saturday against the Okinawan Shimajiri team. The Dragons lost 8-2. (Fred Zimmerman / S&S)
Kubasaki's Joe Smith throws to first during the team's first game Saturday against the Okinawan Shimajiri team. The Dragons lost 8-2. (Fred Zimmerman / S&S)
Kadena High School’s Kara Davis releases a pitch Saturday against the Okinawan Koza team. In their first fast-pitch softball game, the Panthers were defeated 6-1. (Fred Zimmerman / S&S)
OKINAWA CITY, Okinawa — The high school baseball and softball seasons kicked off Saturday with a day of “friendship” games between base high school teams and their Okinawa athlete counterparts at the Chibana Recreation Area.
Thirteen teams participated in the first-of-a-kind event, six from Okinawa and seven junior varsity and varsity teams from Kubasaki and Kadena high schools.
The day began with an opening ceremony with Okinawa City officials and members of the American Consulate on hand. At the end of his speech, Consul General Thomas Reich said the love of baseball has brought the U.S. and Japan close together for years, and that it was just time to “play ball.”
The first baseball teams to take to the fields were Kubasaki varsity boys taking on Shimajiri, and the Kadena varsity boys against Gushikawa. While both games were close in the early innings, the Okinawa teams were able to pull away late in the games. Shimajiri beat Kubasaki 8-2 and Gushikawa topped Kadena 8-3.
The first softball game had a touch of history, as it was the first fast-pitch game played by an American high school team on Okinawa. In previous years, the girls only played slow pitch.
The girls varsity team from Kadena High School took the diamond first against the Okinawa Koza team, which won 6-1.
“They did awesome,” Kadena coach Joe Ware said. “There were a few errors here and there, but they did a good job.”
Ware said that half the girls on his team had never hit a fast-pitch offering before this year, adding the Japanese pitchers can easily throw at 60 mph. The team practiced hard the last several weeks, he said, and scrimmaged the Kubasaki girls team to help prepare for the game. He said without the help of assistant coaches Tony Davis and Tom McCullough, he wouldn’t have had the team ready. Davis has coached fast pitch in the past, and McCullough is a fast-pitch pitcher.
The team’s catcher, Allison Montes de Oca, played fast-pitch in the States, but it’s been more than three years.
“It definitely took some getting used to,” she said. “I’m used to catching, but it was just the batting that took getting used to.”
While the day was the kickoff of the season for the teams, there were no top finishers as the day was more about getting the Japanese and American teams together, according to Lt. Col. Doc Daugherty, president of the Kubasaki/Kadena Baseball Softball Parents’ Committee.
“We didn’t want a competition … it was strictly a day for fun,” Daugherty said. “This is a great expansion of our program. In the past we’ve averaged about 90 kids for baseball and softball, and now we have about 110.”
Japan baseball
Zama American 24, Matthew C. Perry 3
Saturday at Camp Zama, Japan
Game called after three innings by coaches' agreement. Miguel Vega got the win, striking out four, and also batted 3-for-4. Nick Dolby had two hits and three RBIs and John O'Connor added two hits.
Zama American 27, Robert D. Edgren 2
Saturday at Camp Zama, Japan
Anthony Garcia pitched a complete game, allowing one hit and striking out six. Nick Dolby went 4-for-4 and Kris Garcia and Peter Swift each had two hits for Zama.
Japan boys soccer
Zama American 3, Matthew C. Perry 1
Saturday at Iwakuni Marine Air Station, Japan
Halftime:1-1. Goals: Zama, Branden White 1 (1), Daniel Rooper 1 (1), Aaron Vest 1 (1); Perry, Andre Fung 1 (4).
Matthew C. Perry 2, Zama American 0
Friday at Iwakuni Marine Air Station, Japan
Halftime:0-0. Goals: Perry, Ronnie Solomon 1 (1), Andre Fung 1 (3).
Japan girls soccer
Nile C. Kinnick 4, Matthew C. Perry 0
Saturday at Ikego Heights, Japan
Goals:Kinnick, Sara McAlpin 1 (2), Lisa Murray 2 (3), Sarah Greenert 1 (1). Assists: Kinnick, Mariko Wood 1, Ashley Melin 1.
Robert D. Edgren 5, Matthew C. Perry 0
Saturday at Ikego Heights, Japan
Goals:Edgren, Stephanie Patrick 2 (3), Brittany Patrick 1 (2), Jessica Allibone 1 (2), Samantha Johnson 1 (2). Assists: Edgren, Rachel Cannon 1, Christa Mahaffey 1, Jessica Allibone 1, Johanna Six 1.
Nile C. Kinnick 4, Robert D. Edgren 1
Friday at Ikego Heights Naval Housing Facility, Japan
Goals:Kinnick, Lisa Murray 1 (1), Ashley Melin 1 (1), Mariko Wood 1 (1), Frances Zukowski 1 (1); Edgren, Brittany Patrick 1 (1). Assists: Kinnick, Lisa Murray 1, Stephanie Bennett 1, Frances Zukowski 1.
Robert D. Edgren 4, Matthew C. Perry 0
Friday at Ikego Heights, Japan
Goals:Edgren, Christa Mahaffey 1 (1), Jessica Allibone 1 (1), Stephanie Patrick 1 (1), Samantha Johnson 1 (1).
Korea boys soccer
Pusan American 2, International Christian-Seoul 1
Saturday at Camp Hialeah, South Korea
Halftime:ICS-Seoul 1-0. Goals: Pusan, Andrew Cheeseman 1 (1), Jerry Carroll 1 (1). Assists: Pusan, Jeff Metzger 1, Moses Joh 1. Noteworthy: Panthers hand Guardians first loss in seven matches.
Seoul International 13, Taegu American 0
Saturday at Camp Walker, South Korea
Halftime:Seoul International 6-0. Goals: Seoul, John Hwang 5 (8), Andrew Kim 4 (9), Eugene Koo 1 (4), Tetsuya Kobayashi 1 (3), Albert Hong 1 (1), Jinhwan Kim 1 (1). Assists: Seoul, Nayden Kim 1.
Seoul Foreign 10, Korea Kent Foreign 0
Saturday at Seoul
Halftime:Seoul Foreign 6-0. Goals: Seoul, Shohei Yamagata 1 (3), Maciej Raznowiecki 1 (3), Remco Rademaker 1 (10), Jason Kang 1 (1), Steven Small 1 (1), Pavel Hrmo 1 (1), Hayes Creech 1 (1), Jooik Kim 1 (1), Alex Laursen 1 (1). Assists: Seoul, Remco Rademaker 3, Shohei Yamagata 1, Jason Kang 1, Harry Creech 1, Pavel Hrmo 1.
Pusan American 3, International Christian-Uijongbu 0
Friday at Camp Hialeah, South Korea
Halftime: Pusan 3-0. Goals: Pusan, Andrew Cheeseman 3 (3).
Korea girls soccer
Osan American 3, Seoul American 2
Saturday at Osan Air Base, South Korea
Halftime:1-1. Goals: Osan, Sharon Kroening 2 (4), Brittany Wood 1 (2); Seoul, Angye Law 1 (5), Amy Bakameyer 1 (3).
Taejon Christian International 3, Taegu American 2
Friday at Camp Walker, South Korea
Halftime:1-1. Goals: TCIS, Sharla Wallace 1 (1), Liz Kim 1 (1), Jeeyon Kim 1 (1); Taegu, Katrina Alsup 1 (1), Son-hyung Yeo 1 (1). Assists: TCIS, Sharla Wallace 1.
Osan American 3, Seoul International 0
Friday at Osan Air Base, South Korea
Halftime: Osan 2-0. Goals: Osan, Brittany Wood 1 (3), Elizabeth Juergens 1 (6), Sosha Gluzinski 1 (1). Assists: Osan, Elizabeth Juergens 1.
Seoul Foreign 1, Seoul American 0
Friday at Seoul
Halftime:Seoul Foreign 1-0. Goals: Seoul Foreign, Kathleen Barennes 1 (3). Assists: Seoul Foreign, Megan Kim 1. Goalkeeper saves: Seoul Foreign, Josefine Boren 7.
Okinawa girls soccer
Kadena 5, Kubasaki 1
Saturday at Camp Foster, Okinawa
Halftime:0-0. Goals: Kadena, Dianne Abel 2 (2), Victoria Lyle 2 (2), Niki Kauzlarich 1 (1), Kelsey Decker 1 (1); Kubasaki, Erin Foote 1 (1) (penalty kick). Assists: Kadena, Dianne Abel 2.
Okinawa boys soccer
Kadena 4, Yokatsu 1
Saturday at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
Halftime:Kadena 2-0. Goals: Kadena, Brenden Stanford 2 (2), Aaron Zendejas 1 (1), Anthony Soroka 1 (1).
