Scoring four runs in each of the first three innings, Taiwan overwhelmed Greece in a 15-0 shutout in six innings at the Remon Cantera Stadium in Aguadulce, Panama, on Monday to close out a dreadful preliminary round in Group A with a disappointing 2-5 record at this year’s IBAF Baseball World Cup.
Even though the outcome of the game did not have any bearing as far as Taiwan’s chances of advancement into the second round were concerned, as they finished in seventh place in Group A, it was a sweet win nonetheless.
Taiwan’s batters vented their frustration and disappointment by pounding out 11 hits against the Greece pitching over six innings of play.
Starter Kuo Chun-lin picked up the win with three shutout innings of one-hit ball, before turning the game over to the bullpen. He had also started the game against Greece two days earlier that was cut short by rain after two innings of play with Taiwan leading 7-0. That game was nullified by the tournament officials.
Following Kuo’s suit was a stingy Taiwanese bullpen that chipped in three innings of perfect relief, with Chiu Hao-chun getting three ground-outs in the fourth and Chen Yu-hsun fanning four of the six batters he faced during the fifth and sixth to wrap up the victory.
Offensively for Taiwan, lead-off man Lin Han led all hitters in a three-for-five effort with an RBI and two runs.
Lo Kuo-hui (a minor leaguer for the Seattle Mariners), Chen Chun-hsiu (a minor leaguer for the Cleveland Indians), Hsiao Po-ting and Yang Kuan-wei also drove in a pair of runs apiece to help their team complete the big victory over a Greece team that committed seven errors.
Greece second baseman Panagiotis Cheilakis’ liner up the middle off Kuo in the top of the first was the only thing that kept the pitchers from making it the only no-hitter in the entire tournament so far.
Starter Efthymio Karkatselos was tagged with the loss for Greece, allowing four runs on three hits in one inning of play.
US 5, PANAMA 0
Defending champions the US needed a 5-0 victory over hosts Panama at the Rod Carew National Stadium in Panama City to eke past Puerto Rico and qualify for the fourth and final spot out of Group A for the second round of play.
A loss would have given the US an identical record to Puerto Rico, with the latter qualifying after Puerto Rico beat the US 8-4 on Oct. 3.
The teams that have qualified for the second round are Canada (6-1), the Netherlands (6-1), Panama (5-2) and the US (4-3) in Group A. In Group B, Cuba (7-0), Venezuela (5-2), South Korea (5-2) and Australia (4-3) made it through.
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