Taiwan's baseball team hope to avenge women softball players' pair of losses

Taiwan's baseball team was scheduled to play with Canada yesterday in its Athens Olympics debut, a crucial match if the team is to qualify for the final four.

"We will revenge the softball team," said baseball team head coach Hsu Sheng-ming (徐生明) after finishing a familiarization session on Saturday.

Hsu decided to make Chang Chih-chia (張誌家) the starting pitcher, saying that Chang's "Japanese professional baseball style" could effectively suppress the Canadian team's "American baseball style."

Tsao Chin-hui (曹錦輝), the only member of the team who has ever been a starting pitcher in major league baseball in the US, will serve as the closer if necessary.

An agreement between Taiwan's baseball association and the Color-ado Rockies, limits Tsao to throwing 60 pitches at most in order to protect his right shoulder, which was recently injured.

"I hope that Chang Tai-shan (張泰山), the Chinese Professional Baseball League home run recordholder, takes a rest and I will let him bat as soon as he tells that he is ready," Hsu said.

Chang was reportedly upset because Next magazine ran a story last week accusing him of having an affair with an ex-girlfriend. Chang has denied the allegation.

Taiwan's women's softball team lost its first two games, losing any hope of a medal.

The team had vowed to win its debut against Canada on Saturday but its poor batting ability led to its defeat as the Canadians won 2-1.

Starting pitcher Wu Chia-yen (吳佳燕) suppressed the Canadians for three innings but she collapsed in the fourth inning and gave up two runs. In the fifth inning, Taiwan had an opportunity to catch up. With two singles and one walk, Taiwan had the bases loaded after just one out, but Yen Show-tzu (顏秀姿) and Pan Tzu-hui (潘慈惠) didn't deliver.

The team then lost to Japan 6-0 yesterday. The Japanese made a total of 13 hits while the Taiwanese made just two.

Given that the team's game against team USA is almost a forgone conclusion, the Taiwanese women will have to win their games against China, Greece, Australia and Italy in order to enter the final four round.

"We are on the edge of a steep cliff [following the two losses]," said head coach Ni Chao-liang (倪兆良). "Our only opportunity is to defeat Australia on Sunday night."

Ni said he planned to start either Wu Chia-yen (吳佳燕) or Lin Po-jen (林柏珍) as pitcher for that game.

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