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TOKYO (AP) — Sho Nakata and Nobuhiro Matsuda hit two-run homers in the second inning as Japan beat Mexico 11-1 to win the bronze medal at the Premier12 baseball tournament.
The two homers were part of a seven-run outburst at Tokyo Dome that gave Japan an early 8-0 lead. Shogo Akiyama hit another two-run homer in the seventh inning and the game ended under the 10-run mercy rule.
Juan Perez accounted for Mexico's only run with a solo homer in the sixth inning off Japan pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.
The United States faces South Korea in the gold-medal game later Saturday.
The quadrennial tournament, which features the top 12-ranked nations, is organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
Japan was the top-ranked team but was beaten by South Korea in the semifinals.
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