Taiwan’s under-16 team beat Australia in their second warm-up game in the 2009 International Baseball Federation World Youth Championship in Taichung yesterday, following up on the local team’s victory over the US on Tuesday.
Although the Taiwanese players’ offensive ability went from good to better, head coach Huang Wu-hsiung remained worried that they did not look so confident when confronted with a left-handed pitcher.
Huang said the Taiwanese players scored mostly infield hits when facing a left-handed pitcher, only scoring long hits when the pitcher was a right-hander.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The coach nonetheless praised his team for taking the offensive whenever they had the chance.
Taiwan beat Australia 14-2, ending the match early in seven innings. However, six of Taiwan’s 14 hits were infield hits. Third batter’s Cheng Chia-ming’s triple was preceded by four infield hits.
Just as they struggled with US left-hander Cory Geisler on Tuesday, the Taiwanese players couldn’t shake off their fear of left-handed pitchers when facing Australia. But Huang chose to look on the bright side, saying that the Taiwanese should thank the Australian left-handers for giving them some much-needed practice before formal matches start on Saturday.
Huang said that when Australia meet Taiwan again on Tuesday in the formal contest, he expected the Aussies to use their left-handed pitchers to try to exploit Taiwan’s weakness.
Speaking at the US-Cuba match yesterday afternoon, US head coach George Sanchez praised the Taiwanese team, especially the pitchers, and said he still had not decided what strategy his team would follow against Taiwan.
Formal matches will start at Taiwan’s Intercontinental Stadium on Saturday and run through Aug. 23.
The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up a brief visit to Brazil on Friday with a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but despite the defeat, the team outshone their divisional rivals in the fight for the hearts and minds of Brazilian fans. In Sao Paulo for just the second-ever NFL game in the city, Chiefs players — especially quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — were treated as major celebrities throughout their stay, turning Corinthians Arena into a scene reminiscent of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Before kickoff, crowds of fans gathered around the Chiefs’ tunnel, eager to catch a
New Zealand stayed firm at their Eden Park fortress to claim an attritional 24-17 win over South Africa in a heavyweight clash between the world’s top two rugby sides yesterday. Under pressure after conceding a first-ever defeat on Argentine soil against the Pumas two weeks ago, the All Blacks responded with a performance of grit and discipline to stretch their unbeaten run at their Auckland stronghold to 51 matches. Two well-taken tries by Emoni Narawa and Will Jordan set up a 14-3 lead at halftime before Quinn Tupaea grabbed a third five-pointer for the hosts 13 minutes from time. Well-held for most of
Mikel Merino on Sunday scored a hat-trick as a majestic Spain thumped Turkey 6-0 away in World Cup qualifying, while a brilliant Florian Wirtz free-kick helped Germany beat Northern Ireland 3-1 to get their bid up and running. European champions Spain were in unstoppable form in the central Turkish city of Konya, claiming their second biggest-ever away win in World Cup qualifying as Arsenal midfielder Merino scored his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona playmaker Pedri Gonzalez opened the scoring inside six minutes and later completed the scoring, with Ferran Torres netting the visitors’ other goal. The quality of Merino’s strikes was remarkable, with his
The Wallabies trusted their instincts to keep pushing for a late try instead of a potential equalizing penalty goal late in their Rugby Championship Test match yesterday against Argentina, with prop Angus Bell scoring the clinching try in the sixth minute of added time to give Australia a comeback 28-24 win. The Wallabies were awarded three kickable penalties after the 80th minute, but kept pushing in search of the match-winning try, which was finally delivered by an unlikely hero in reserve prop Bell. “It’s just relieving,” Bell said. “It’s just awesome we could get the win in the end; not go for
RSS