In Japan, pitcher Yukiko Ueno, the ace of the softball at the Tokyo Olympics, started in the second game on the 22nd for the second consecutive day.

My teammate's desire to "for pitcher Ueno" led to a 3-2 win in the 8th inning.

Ueno 39th birthday

Pitcher Ueno had his 39th birthday on the 22nd.


Based on the idea of ​​coach Reika Utsugi, "Because it's my birthday, let's throw it to Ueno as far as I can go," Ueno pitched to two points in the middle of the seventh inning, and the team finished two games in Fukushima in a row.

Pitcher Ueno


"I regret that I wasn't able to play until the end. Director Reika was like" Is it okay? "7 times, but I think he left it to me 7 times because it was his birthday. It turned around and it was a bigger match for the team than I was. "

Fujita The "birthday arch" that I was aiming for

Pitcher Ueno, the oldest player on the team, is aiming for a gold medal in order to give back to the softball world, but his teammates are largely driven by playing for pitcher Ueno.


Yamato Fujita, a dual wield pitcher, revealed a conversation with pitcher Ueno on the bus from the dormitory to the stadium on the 22nd.



Fujita:


"I was talking to" I'm 39 years old "on the bus and saying,'I'll do my best to be called Mr. Ueno-san.'"

Then, "I was aiming for a birthday arch for pitcher Ueno," he hit the first solo home run for the second consecutive game.

Fujita transferred to the same team this season to play with pitcher Ueno and learn the secrets of pitching.


The idea that this may be the last time for the Olympics to fight with pitcher Ueno is a further motivation.



Fujita:


"I'm happy to be able to fight with the desire to have this figure in my eyes. If Mr. Ueno was throwing, I would like to do something" and "I want to hit". I think it's a bond of

Goto “I wanted to present the win”

There is another player whose thoughts for pitcher Ueno have led to good results.

Nozomi Goto, the youngest 20-year-old pitcher on the team who pitched from the middle of the 7th inning of 2 to 2.


For pitcher Goto, who has little experience in international competitions, the pinch of 7 times and 8 times of extension was a scene that put pressure, but he showed a dignified pitching that took 5 strikeouts against 8 batters.

Pitcher Goto


"I had a strong desire to give a win to Mr. Ueno's birthday, so I was able to concentrate anyway. I knew that today's scene was a situation where I couldn't get any points, so Mr. Ueno told me. I wanted to receive the baton and keep it at zero. "

Ueno's existence Grow the team

Director Utsugi is said to have seen the reliable pitcher Goto overlaid on the young pitcher Ueno at the time of the Beijing Olympics.

Director Reika Utsugi


"At the very end, Goto's pitching in the important scene where you can't lose here looks like Ueno in the old days, and I want to make it a pitcher who can carry Japan on his back in such a scene. Today's pitching was a good pitching that everyone around me could understand without complimenting me. "

Coach Utsugi said at a press conference that announced the national team players in March that he was a "team centered on Ueno", but the presence of the Daikoku Pillar also plays a role in growing the entire team.