DUBAI: Hiroyuki Nakajima hit a three-run double in the fourth inning, Gregori Cano hit a two-run triple, and Federico Celli a two-run single to give Mid East Falcons a 9-1 victory over Karachi Monarchs at Baseball United Ballpark.
Nakajima bagged 2-for-2, 2B, and 3 RBIs; Cano went 2-for-4, 3B, and 2 RBIs; Celli went 1-for-3, and 2 RBIs; and Shuhei Fukuda went 1-for-4, with a solo home run.
The Falcons scored three runs in the fourth and five in the seventh as the franchise maintained a perfect record of two wins from two games in Baseball United Season 1.
Yokohama BayStars’ top prospect Haru Yoshioka made his pitching debut on Friday and was key to Mid East’s victory. The 19-year-old RHP faced Pavin Parks with two runners on base and Max Jung-Goldberg with bases loaded, both in the second inning with the Money Ball in play. He struck out Parks and got out Jung-Goldberg with a pop out. This prevented attacks that, combined, would have meant up to 14 runs for the Monarchs.
Besides Yoshioka (3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO), Kodai Hamaya (2.1, 1 H, 0 ER, 5 SO), Shingo Hirata (2 H, 0 ER), and Steven Mufareh (1.0 IP, 0 er) completed the pitching line for Mid East.
Other highlights:
- Scott Ellis, starting pitcher from Karachi, took the loss after 5 IP (4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO). Konsta Kurikka (1.0), Franklin van Gurp (0.1), Musharaf Khan (0.2) and Enrique Burgos (1.0) completed the pitching line for Karachi.
- Jake Perez went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Amar Mahmood drove in his first run of the season, which were among the highlights of the Monarchs’ offense.
- It was the fourth defeat for the Karachi Monarchs this season (1-4).
