Roki Sasaki‘s fastball can prime 101 miles (161.six kilometres) per hour. The one particular that hit the Czech Republic’s Willie Escala in his left knee was about that speed.

Final Saturday, throughout Japan’s Group B game against the Czech Republic, it was the prime of the fourth, and Japan was top, three-1, with one particular out and the bases empty. The count was 1-two. Escala could not get away from an inside pitch.

Luckily, Escala was capable to remain in the game. Sasaki left soon after obtaining on strikes third baseman Filip Smola, his eighth strike out of the day. Japan won the game ten-two.

Sasaki believed there was some thing else he required to do. The day soon after he asked to meet Escala and apologized, gifting the Czech player two bags of candy.

Sasaki, 21, is the most fascinating young pitcher in Nippon Expert Baseball (NPB). Throughout the 2022 season, he became the 16th pitcher in NPB history to throw a excellent game.

Sasaki represented Japan at the WBSC U-18 Baseball Planet Cup 2019.

He lost his father, grandparents and his dwelling throughout the devastating Wonderful Sendai earthquake in March 2011.

Escala, 23, has appeared in 194 games at the collegiate level in the US. He played for the University of Miami throughout the 2022 season.