United States? Kaitlin Cochran, right, is congratulated by teammates after scoring against Japan in the third inning of the championship game of the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, Monday, July 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? Taylor Hoagland hit a two-run home run, Valerie Arioto and Megan Langenfeld had RBI singles and the United States beat rival Japan 6-4 Monday night to win its fifth straight World Cup of Softball championship.
Jordan Taylor (1-0) retired the first eight batters she faced and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, never letting the Americans fall behind after they grabbed a 2-0 lead without needing a hit in the first inning.
The U.S. got even for a 7-0 loss in the championship game of the Canada Cup earlier this month in the latest matchup between the sport?s two powerhouses.
The Americans won the first three Olympic gold medals and have won the past seven world championships, but Japan holds the gold medal from the 2008 Olympics.
The teams have met in the finals in five of the six World Cups, with the U.S. winning four times.
Hoagland?s two-run blast that made it 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth proved crucial when Michelle Moultrie dropped Eri Yamada?s two-out fly to deep left in the seventh. Two runs scored and Yamada reached third, but Misa Okubo popped up a bunt try to Keilani Ricketts to end the game.
Ricketts, who got the final two outs, earned the save.
Much of the star power was missing in this World Cup, with no Olympic veterans on the U.S. roster as the sport won?t be played on that stage until at least 2020 ? if then. Several stars have retired since the 2008 games, and others decided to play pro ball instead of continuing on Team USA.
The Japanese were without injured ace Yukiko Ueno, a nemesis for the U.S. with wins including the 2008 gold medal game, the 2005 World Cup title game and a three-hit shutout in Canada earlier this month.
Makiko Fujiwara (1-2) started in her place and walked four straight batters in the first before Brittany Schutte?s sacrifice fly put the U.S. up 2-0.
Taylor, who struck out the only four Japanese batters she faced on Saturday night, retired the first eight in order before Yumi Iwabuchi reached on Jenae Leles? throwing error with two outs in the third. Leles fielded Iwabuchi?s grounder about halfway down the third-base line, but Valerie Arioto couldn?t scoop her throw in the dirt at first.
Schutte then threw out Iwamuchi trying to steal second.
When the Japanese finally got their first hit, it proved to be a costly one. After Japan got within 3-1 on Rie Nagayoshi?s RBI groundout in the fifth, Haruka Kageyama was credited with a single when her grounder hit Mika Suzuki as she ran down the third base line.
Japan coach Reika Utsugi protested, and then returned to home plate umpire Traci Stoelting to motion for her to look at a replay, to no avail. Kazuki Watanabe, the next hitter, followed with an infield single to the hole at shortstop.
The U.S. caught a break in the third when Kaitlin Cochran appeared to be out at third on a triple to the gap in right, just before Arioto?s RBI single to right. Langenfeld had a pinch-hit single to bump the lead to 4-1 in the fifth.
Japan?s other run scored on Hoagland?s throwing error in the sixth.
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Source: http://www.artesianews.com/ap-news/sports-ap-news/us-beats-rival-japan-for-softball-world-cup-title/
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