Japan All-Star Series
July 4-8, 2024
Nagoya, Japan | Vantelin Dome (Game 1)
Fujinomiya, Japan | Mt. Fuji Stadium (Game 2)
Yokohama, Japan | Yokohama Stadium (Game 3)
In addition to the back-to-back matchups against Great Britain, the world-ranked No. 1 U.S. Women’s Elite Team will go head-to-head with No. 2 Japan once again in a three-game series that will take place July 4-8 across three Japanese cities — Nagoya, Fujinomiya and Yokohama. The Japan All-Star Series has provided an exciting experience for softball fans since its inception in 2016 where over 31,000 fans packed the Tokyo Dome while 2017 saw 15,000 fans in the stands at Yokohama Stadium.
Due to live streaming restrictions in Japan, USA Softball is unable to provide streaming of this event at this time. To follow along via live stats, please follow the 2024 U.S. Women’s Elite Team on GameChanger.
| Date | Time (JST/CT) | Opponent | Stadium – Location | Live Stats | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, July 4 | 7 PM JST / 5 AM CT | USA 0, Japan 1 | Vantelin Dome – Nagoya, Japan | Box Score |
| Saturday, July 6 | 2 PM JST / 12 AM CT | USA 5, Japan 9 | Mt. Fuji Stadium – Fujinomiya, Japan | Box Score |
| Monday, July 8 | 7 PM JST / 5 AM CT | USA 1, Japan 8 (6) | Yokohama Stadium – Yokohama, Japan | Box Score |
NAGOYA, Japan (July 4, 2024) — The U.S. Women’s Elite Team fell short in Game 1 of the 2024 Japan All-Star Series held today at the Vantelin Dome in Nagoya, Japan, suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Team Japan to open the series. A typical matchup between the world-ranked No. 1 and No. 2 programs, the seven-inning contest came down to the final inning thanks to stellar defensive performances from both sides.
Kelly Maxwell limited the Japan offense to two hits, while tossing eleven K’s and retiring the first 12 batters she faced in order. Dominant in the circle, Maxwell kept Japan off the board through six innings, but was challenged in the bottom of the seventh as a pair of singles and a fielding miscue from the U.S. defense allowed Japan pushed across its lone run of the game to pick up the walk-off win. The U.S. tabbed five hits on the day, highlighted by doubles off the bats of Baylee Klingler and Skylar Wallace, while Erin Coffel, Jocelyn Erickson and Kayla Kowalik also recorded a hit in the matchup.
FUJINOMIYA, Japan (July 6, 2024) — The U.S. Women’s Elite Team came up short in Game 2 of the 2024 Japan All-Star Series, falling 9-5 to Japan to record a 0-2 showing before tomorrow’s finale contest. Over 2,800 fans filled the seats at today’s game, held at Mt. Fuji Stadium in Fujinomiya, Japan.
The U.S. offense tabbed a combined 10 hits on the day, three of which came off the bat of Skylar Wallace who posted a perfect 3-for-3 performance in the matchup — with one of the hits being a solo home run in the first inning. The pitching staff of NiJaree Canady, Valerie Cagle and Lexi Kilfoyl combined for three strikeouts in the matchup.
In a back-and-forth matchup between the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked programs, Japan struck first with a pair of singles and a sac-fly to get two runs on the board in the top of the first, while Wallace quickly answered back with a lead-off home run to tighten the Japan lead, 2-1. Despite another run from Japan in the top of the second, the U.S. bats came alive in the bottom of the third thanks to a lead-off base hit from Kayla Kowalik followed by a hit-by-pitch to Wallace that put runners in position for Megan Grant to plate one with a single to right field — narrowing the Japan lead, 3-2. A series of hit-by-pitches pushed another U.S. run across to tie the game, 3-3, while Kinzie Hansen came up clutch with a double to tack on two more runs to clinch the lead for the Eagles, 5-3. Japan evened the score again (5-5) in the top of the fourth with a pair of singles before adding another run in the top of the fifth to take the lead, 6-5. Japan strengthened their lead in the final two innings, plating two more to clinch Game 2. Despite putting runners on in the final four innings, the Eagles were unable to muster any runs – falling 9-5 to Team Japan.
YOKOHAMA, Japan (July 8, 2024) — The U.S. Women’s Elite Team came up short in the 2024 Japan All-Star Series finale held today at Yokohama Stadium, suffering an 8-1 loss (six innings) to Team Japan to close out the series with an 0-3 record.
The U.S. offense struggled to come alive in today’s matchup with a combined three hits on the day – two of which came off the bat of Skylar Wallace who was the only Eagle to record a multi-hit performance at the plate (2-for-3). NiJaree Canady got the start in the circle for the Eagles, tossing 3.2 innings — while Valerie Cagle and Lexi Kilfoyl also made an appearance in the matchup. The trio combined for four strikeouts while keeping the Japan offense off the board for a combined three innings.
Taking an early lead in the bottom of the first, Japan held on to a 3-0 lead before adding another run in the bottom of the fourth to widen the lead, 4-0. Wallace posted the lone U.S. run in the top of the sixth with a solo shot to left field to tighten the lead, 4-1. The Japan offense quickly answered back with four additional runs in the bottom of the sixth to close out Game 3 of the series in run-rule fashion, 8-1 (six innings).
The 16-player roster combined for a .243 batting average and 18 hits through three games. Wallace led the squad with a .667 batting average and six hits, while Kelly Maxwell led the U.S. pitching staff with 11 K’s in 6.1 innings pitched.