TAIPEI—Solid defense and “small ball” paid off big for Japan as it won the Under-18 Baseball World Cup for the first time, defeating host Taiwan 2-1 in the final on Sept. 10.

The Japanese squad, including players fresh from competing in the Koshien National High School Baseball Championship, were led by manager Shiro Mabuchi, 67, in his second year at the helm.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, Japan’s leadoff hitter, Ren Ogata from Yokohama Senior High School, reached base with a walk.

A sacrifice bunt advanced Ogata to second base.

Minato Maruta from Keio Senior High School followed with a bunt single, giving Japan runners at the corners with one out.

The Japanese team then bunted again, this time in a suicide squeeze by Kazuki Takanaka from Seiko Gakuin High School. The Taiwanese third baseman made an errant throw to first base, and both Ogata and Maruta scored on the play.

With a 2-1 lead, the team’s ace, Yugo Maeda from Osaka Toin Senior High School, shut down the Taiwanese batters the rest of the way for a complete game victory.

“This is the second year for me, so I am familiar with the tournament to some extent,” said Mabuchi, who also coaches Meitoku Gijuku Senior High School.

In the U-18 World Cup, games are seven-inning affairs, and pitchers must be replaced after a certain pitch count.

Other factors are often cited as reasons why Japan had never won the U-18 World Cup.

Players can use only wooden bats, unlike at the Koshien tournaments, where metal bats are the norm.

In addition, most players on the Japanese team had just finished the summer national championship, the pinnacle of their high school baseball activities, leaving them exhausted emotionally and physically for the U-18 World Cup and with little time to adjust to overseas cuisines and lifestyles.

In his first year as manager, Mabuchi led the Japanese squad to a third-place finish, and he gained some insight on how to win games in this tournament.

His final player selection at the end of August showed that he was focused on defense and pitching.

Last year, Mabuchi selected seven pitchers, but this time he chose nine, including Riku Takeda from Yamagata Chuo High School and Yuzuki Nakayama from Chiben Gakuen Senior High School, who can also play as fielders.

For the infield, he picked players with strong shoulders for shortstop and others with wide defensive ranges. The players selected for the outfield positions were all speedsters who could quickly run down fly balls and steal bases.

Some people suggested that Mabuchi stack his lineup with power hitters.

However, the manager recognized that Japanese players might have difficulties adjusting from aluminum bats to the heavier wooden bats with smaller sweet spots.

He also believed it’s “not easy to hit long balls” off overseas pitchers with fastballs clocked at around 150 kph.

And he questioned the wisdom of trying to match power against the U.S. and Taiwanese players, who tend to have larger physiques.

So from training camp, Mabuchi emphasized “small baseball,” focusing on stringing together plays, advancing runners and scoring one run at a time.

“We took on a challenge with small ball, and even though we made some mistakes, I’m glad we pulled it off,” Mabuchi said. “I know there are many approaches, but this is the only one I could use as a coach.”

This was Japan’s eighth appearance in the tournament since 2004, when the team first competed with players who participated in the Koshien national championships.

In the first round of Group B, Japan defeated Spain, Panama, Venezuela and defending champion the United States. After losing to Netherlands and finishing with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss, Japan advanced to the Super Round in second place.

In the Super Round, Japan beat South Korea and Puerto Rico to reach its first final since the 2015 tournament.

They faced a familiar foe in Taiwan, a team that defeated Japan in the third game of the Super Round.

Japan gained its revenge in the final game.

Over nine games in the tournament, Japan scored 52 times while its pitchers allowed only 11 runs.

Currently, 12 countries and regions participate in the U-18 Baseball World Cup, which is organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).

Since 1997, the U-18 Baseball World Cup has been held every other year, in principle. The tournament scheduled for 2021 was held in 2022.

Japan finished second in 2004, 2013 and 2015.