Cheng Nai-wen’s two-run homer capped a three-run 10th for the Uni-President Lions as they held off a tough rally by the La New Bears to win it 4-3 at the Kaohsiung County Baseball Stadium on Sunday evening.
The win not only gave the defending champs a clean three-game sweep in the weekend series against their nemeses, but also extended their winning streak to five straight as they tried to gain some ground in the standings against the top-ranked Brother Elephants.
After Pan Chung-wei’s ninth-inning solo blast off Lions closer Lin Yueh-ping erased a 1-0 Lions lead to send the contest into extra sessions, the Lions offense answered in the top of the 10th with three big runs.
They needed every one of those three runs to keep the sweep intact as the Bears rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the 10th before falling short in the end.
Pan Wu-hsiung’s third-inning double off Bears starter Aaron Rakers scored the leadoff runner all the way from first to put the Cats ahead 1-0.
The lead would stand all the way to the bottom of the ninth, as neither offense managed to produce again against the stellar pitching of Lions starter Luther Hackman and Rakers; the former throwing a two-hit beauty over seven impeccable innings and the latter pitching shutout ball from the second through the eighth before being relieved.
Lin was credited with his third win of the year despite blowing the save opportunity, while his counterpart Keng Bo-hsuan was hit with the loss for allowing a homer in the 10th and the go-ahead runs to reach.
BULLS 6, ELEPHANTS 2
The Sinon Bulls emerged victorious from their visit to the Brother Elephants at the Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium in Tianmu on Sunday.
Two doubles and a single in the top of the first translated into a 2-0 lead for the Bulls before they upped it by three over the next two innings to lead it comfortably by 5-0.
That was more than ample for starter Lin Keh-chien, who lasted well into the eighth with a four-hit gem before being relieved, allowing a pair of unearned runs to win his ninth of the season.
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