Deng Shih-yang’s pinch-hit blooper to left with a runner on third was the game-winner in the bottom of the tenth as the Sinon Bulls outslugged the Uni-President Lions 7-6 at the Hsinchu Mincucipal Baseball Stadium yesterday afternoon to take the three-game series by a 2-1 margin.
It was only the third at-bat of the season for Deng, but the former Dmedia T-Rex second baseman made the most of his newfound reserve role in a Sinon uniform by delivering the clutch hit against the defending champs to get the job done.
Cheng Hong-da opened the bottom of the tenth by reaching second on a sharp grounder to second that scored a single and an error by the Lions second baseman.
Then came a sacrifice bunt by Hsu Guo-long on the ensuing play to advance the runner to third, setting the stage for Deng’s game-winning hit.
In a game where the Bulls never led until the final at-bat, it was the Lions who enjoyed a 4-0 advantage after three innings of play, highlighted by a two-run double by Marshall McDougall in the top of the third.
After the Bulls fought back with three runs of their own to make it 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth, the Lions roared again in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs for a seeming comfortable 6-3 advantage.
But the resilient Bulls simply would not go away as they mustered another three-run counterattack an inning later in the seventh to finally tie it at 6-6 before sending the contest into extra-innings.
Reliever Shen Yu-jeh was credited with the win for his three innings of scoreless relief while his counterpart Lin Yueh-ping was charged with the loss for allowing the winning run to score, even though it was an unearned run against the normally reliable Lions closer.
BEARS 10 ELEPHANTS 3
The La New Bears showed off their bats at the Taipei County Baseball Stadium in Sinjhuang yesterday by pounding off 14 hits against the Brother Elephants pitching to win 10-3.
Starter Huang Chin-chih made the most of his first start in six years by tossing one-run ball on five hits over as many innings.
Offensively for the victorious Bears, Chen Yen-fong led a potent lineup by going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs.
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