Japan's Eri Yamada celebrates her team's win over Mexico during their softball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics on July 22, 2021, in Fukushima, Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

       FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Relief pitcher Miu Goto stranded five runners over the final two innings, and Mana Atsumi singled in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as Japan beat Mexico 3-2 on Thursday to improve to 2-0 in the Tokyo Olympic softball tournament.

       Japan's two-way star, Yamato Fujita, opened the scoring in the second inning with her second home run of the tournament. Mexico, however, tied it in the fifth on Anissa Urtez's first homer of the Tokyo Games.

       Haruka Agatsuma broke a 1-1 fifth-inning tie, only for Mexico to tie it 2-2 in the seventh on Urtez's RBI single off Japan ace Yukiko Ueno. Goto worked two innings, stranding two women in the seventh and two more in the eighth to earn the win.

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