THUNDER BAY, Ont. -- Here come the winds of change.

The days went by, the temperatures climbed and one thing became clear in the Women’s Baseball World Cup finals: Ayami Sato is here to pitch against one team. But few expected it to happen on Thursday morning.

Sato, Japan’s ace for 14 years and perhaps the most accomplished women’s baseball player of all time, started against the United States in the final game of the group round -- a puzzling decision, considering both teams had sealed their fate before taking the field.

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Even more stunning was the end result, as the U.S. pulled off a 4-3 win in extras to hand Japan its first WBWC loss since 2012.

“No batter on their team is an easy batter,” Sato said after the game. “They’re all strong hitters.”

So much about this felt like a taste of what’s to come on Saturday, when Japan and the U.S. are set to face off again in the championship game. One stark difference stands out, though: After throwing 68 pitches on Thursday, Sato likely won’t start the gold-medal game.

“She did everything she could for the team,” said Japan manager Risa Nakashima. “I really appreciate it.”

Sato struck out five batters on five hits and no walks with three runs allowed (none of them earned). Her low pitch count paves the way for a potential relief appearance on Saturday -- a role she played well in the group round last year.

Still, we’re talking about a five-time World Cup champion and the MVP of the past three editions.

Sato hadn’t thrown a single pitch this week. She’s dominated the U.S. in the past. It all seemed to line up perfectly for a fourth straight championship start.

You could argue that the 34-year-old Sato potentially isn’t the best pitcher on Japan’s staff anymore, but her heir apparent -- Kana Onodera -- didn’t make the trip due to an injury.

This is certainly part of a larger plan -- history has taught us that Japan takes no steps without a strategy. Whatever that plan is, though, it has the potential to usher in a new era.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t win, but everyone is positive,” said Nakashima. “It was a great game.”

From atmosphere to the on-field product, this one had the makeup of an instant classic.

About 40 minutes before first pitch, USA manager Veronica Alvarez and assistant coach Malaika Underwood could be found face to face in the dugout, Drowning Pool blasting from a speaker as they yelled to each other: “Let the bodies hit the floor.” On the other side of the field, Japan’s athletes alternated between easy laughter and total concentration in their pregame routine.

Then it started, and you’d think it was Saturday already.

Pitching prowess and great defensive plays headlined the first three innings. Sato looked like she was in full control, too, mixing speeds and showing masterful command of her breaking ball to keep a powerful U.S. lineup in check. After watching from the dugout for the first four days, she delivered a strong reminder of why every player who has taken the field at Port Arthur Stadium this week sees her as an idol.

But Team USA is on a mission. They’ll say it as many times as they need to until the baseball world understands.

“It’s just another team,” said U.S. pitcher/outfielder Jillian Albayati. “We’re so focused on getting to the gold-medal game and winning that game that [Sato’s status] wasn’t even in the back of my mind.”

Albayati was the sparkplug on Thursday, allowing Team USA to take an easy breath after the mounting tension of three scoreless frames. She did it against Sato, too, taking advantage of a rare mistake for a three-run homer in the top of the fourth.

Japan forged a comeback in traditional fashion: station to station, one batter at a time. But another rare mistake -- a balk in the top of the eighth -- gave the U.S. the winning run and ended a historic Samurai streak.

“We’ve never underestimated [anyone], we know that we’re going to have tough competition, especially against a team like Japan, that hadn’t lost in [12] years,” said Alvarez. “But I liked that we got to play under pressure. We haven't had to play under pressure in a long time. So seeing that we can do it and we can come out on top in that situation is a confidence builder for us.”

They’ll need all the confidence, focus and drive to dethrone Japan, which is going for a seventh straight WBWC title. But if the great Ayami Sato isn’t even a lock to start that game, who knows what else the changing winds will bring?

Bronze-medal game set

Mexico eked out a 3-2 extra-innings win over Venezuela to secure a chance to play for bronze in its first WBWC appearance. Awaiting Mexico will be Canada, the silver medalist in 2018, which closed out group play with a 9-8 win over Chinese Taipei behind Mia Valcke's 5-for-5, three-RBI night.