Taiwan roughed up previously unbeaten Japan in a 9-0 shutout to win the title game of the IBAF Under-21 Baseball World Cup tournament at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium last night and secure the gold medal in the 10-day competition.
Having lost to Japan the day before in the Super Round Robin to surrender field advantage in the final game, the hosts not only wanted to keep the title in Taiwan, but also avenge their lone loss in the tournament.
And that was exactly what they did as they overwhelmed the visitors from the north by scoring early and often.
Photo: CNA
“I am so proud of our players for believing in themselves even after [Saturday’s] loss; we didn’t let anyone down tonight,” an emotional Taiwan skipper Kuo-Lee Chien-fu said after the game.
His troops pulled off a rare feat by downing Japan and South Korea in the same tournament for the first time in recent years.
Starter Kuo Chun-lin was well on top of his game, with seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball silencing a Japan lineup, who had averaged nine runs per game in their previous seven outings.
Photo: CNA
The right-hander from National Taiwan Sport University, who is to pursue a professional career with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball later this month, ended his amateur days on a high note.
“We really did it, yes we did!” Kuo said after the game.
Lee Tsung-hsien’s bases-loaded walk off a wild pitch by Japan starter Yudai Mori in the top of the second got Taiwan on the board, before a wild throw by reliever Yuya Yokohama on what would have been an inning-ending double play scored two more to give Taiwan a 3-0 lead.
That led to a two-run fourth in which Taiwan pounded out a pair of singles and a double off Yokohama to send the lefty packing.
After a scoreless fifth and sixth against Japan reliever Kazoto Taguchi, the Taiwan hitters broke out once more with two runs each in the seventh and eighth to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
Four players had multi-hit games, with Yang Tai-chun’s 4-for-5 outing and a pair of RBIs leading the way.
Also starring was outfielder Tsao Yu-ning, who picked up two hits and a diving catch that took away a run-scoring extra-base hit from Japan’s Sho Azegami in the second.
In other games yesterday, the Czech Republic beat Australia 6-5 to claim fifth and South Korea took the bronze medal by beating Nicaragua 10-4.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
RSS