The title of this article from WBSC is “Haru Kitamura throws one-hitter, small ball produces runs as Japan win WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup.” Yesterday, World No. 3 Puerto Rico beat the USA team on day 3 of the WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup 2025 Super Round to qualify for the World Championship Final against No. 2 Japan. In international softball, it was the first-ever win for Puerto Rico against the USA, which won the bronze medal.
World No. 2 Japan defeated No. 3 Puerto Rico, 4-0, to win the WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup 2025 in Caronno Pertusella, Italy on Saturday. [. . .]
It’s the first WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup title for Japan after finishing third on home soil in the inaugural edition in 2023 and adds to their senior women’s title, which they claimed last year. The WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup, which will be played later this year in Oklahoma, USA, is the only trophy missing from their cabinet. In total, it is Japan’s 10th gold medal in Women’s Softball World Cup (senior, U-18 & U-15) and 28th medal overall.
For Puerto Rico, the silver medal repeats the same result from 2023, when they lost 3-0 to USA in the final and raises their medal tally in Men’s and Women’s Softball World Cups to two.
Earlier in the day, world No. 1 and former champions USA defeated No. 9 Mexico in the bronze medal game.
Puerto Rico’s starter Isabella Ortiz walked Ichigo Suzuki with two outs in the bottom of the first to allow the first runner of the game.
Ortiz walked Rara Minato to lead off the bottom of the second, and Japan used the short ball to take the lead. Rio Masuda dropped a bunt for a hit, pushing Minato to second. Juna Higashiyama sacrificed to advance the runners to third and second. Yui Yamamoto also bunted, and Minato scored the go-ahead run. Masuda reached third on the play and scored on an illegal pitch. Yamamoto reached third on the play and scored on a groundout.
Makayla Megnauth took over for Ortiz in the bottom of the third. Japan loaded the bases on a pair of singles and an error, but Megnauth got out of the jam with a strikeout. [. . .]
For more details, see https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2025-u-15-womens-softball-world-cup/news/u-15-womens-softball-world-cup-2025-world-championship-final-japan-puerto-rico#stwo.
[Photo (detail) of PR team from WBSC.]