Taipei: Taiwan is set to face the Philippines in the U-18 Asian Baseball Championship third-place playoff following a 2-1 loss to Japan on Saturday. The defeat concluded Taiwan's super-round journey and propelled Japan into Sunday's final against South Korea. According to Focus Taiwan, all the action in the game was confined to the first inning. Taiwan initially took the lead when Hu Chen-jui drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Chang Yi-an's sacrifice bunt, and advanced to third on a wild pitch, eventually scoring on Liu Huan-yu's groundout. However, Japan quickly turned the tables. Yusei Ishida, after reaching on an infield single, was driven home by Ritora Yamada's RBI double. Kenshin Manya followed with a run-scoring single, giving Japan a 2-1 advantage. Despite numerous opportunities, neither team managed to score again over the subsequent six innings. Japanese pitcher Shoki Oda played a pivotal role, allowing just one run on three hits over six innings, striking out seven and issuing five walks. Ma nya closed out the game with a scoreless seventh inning to secure the victory. For Taiwan, starting pitcher Liu Jen-yu gave up two runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings, while striking out seven without issuing any walks. Wu Hao-siang provided solid relief, holding Japan hitless over the final 1 1/3 innings. Despite finishing with four hits and drawing five walks, Taiwan could not overcome the deficit. Taiwan previously achieved a decisive 10-0 victory over the Philippines in a five-inning game on Friday. The bronze-medal match against the Philippines is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at Taipei Dome, with the championship game slated for 6:30 p.m.