Wang Sheng-wei’s walk-off double with runners on first and second scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Brother Elephants overcame a 1-2 deficit to top the SK Wyverns 3-2 at the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung last night to take Game 1 of the two-game set between the champs of Taiwan’s and South Korea’s professional baseball leagues.
The third-year shortstop lined an offering from ace Wyvern closer Song Eun-beom just beyond the reach of an outstretched glove of the Wyvern third baseman down the leftfield line that scored both runners to give the home hosts the dramatic win against their South Korean counterparts.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to get the job done when it counted the most,” Wang said in the postgame press conference after being dragged by his teammates for several meters around the base paths in celebration of the spectacular come-from-behind victory.
PRIZE MONEY
The win not only guaranteed the Elephants at least a split in the two-game series, but also NT$5 million (US$165,500) of the NT$10 million in total prize money available, even if they lose Game 2, which is scheduled for tonight at 6:35pm.
Should they pick up another win in tonight’s contest between the two clubs to sweep the series, the total winnings would also reach the hefty NT$8 million mark.
Cho Dong-hwa’s RBI single up the middle following Kim Jae-hyun’s one-out double off Orlando Roman broke a scoreless tie in the top of the second for the Wyverns as they took a quick 1-0 lead.
However, the Elephants would return the favor in the bottom of the same inning as Wang Jin-yong also doubled with one out and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Huang Shih-hao to tie the game at 1-all.
Lee Hojoon ’s third-inning solo blast off Roman put the Wyverns back ahead 2-1, a lead that reliever Jun Byung-doo would preserve for more than five innings in relief of starter John Glover through the eighth, setting the stage for Wang’s last at-bat heroics.
Tonight’s Game
Next up for the victorious Elephants will be Game 2 at the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, in which skipper Chen Rei-chen will send Taiwan Series MVP Jim Magrane to the mound in a search for the sweep. The Wyverns had not named their starter for the game as of late last night.
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