The PX Cup continued in Taoyuan yesterday with Tainan’s Nan Ying Vocational High School topping Kaohsiung’s Sanmin Senior High School 5-3 at the Taoyuan -Chingpu Baseball Stadium yesterday afternoon.
The school, whose list of distinguished alumni includes former Major Leaguers Hu Chin-long and Kuo Hong-chih, was able to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the sixth inning by scoring four unanswered runs to advance into today’s semi-final match against Kaohsiung’s Kao Yuan Vocational high School.
Sophomore slugger Lin An-ko had a big game at the plate as he went one-for-three with a pair of RBIs off Sanmin reliever and current national team member Tseng “Catfish” Ren-ho to account for nearly half of Nan Ying’s total run production.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The budding star, who has been closely watched by several professional teams from the US and Japan, definitely enhanced his stock with his clutch performance in the game.
Also starring for Nan Ying was sophomore right-hander Kuo Li-wei, who entered in the third to relieve starter Huang Jing-wei and actually lost a 1-0 lead by allowing three runs in the sixth, before regaining his composure to pitch a scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth to earn the victory.
Failing to protect a hard-earned 3-1 advantage in the sixth was Tseng, who came into the game in the third and kept his team in the game, before allowing the tying runs in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the seventh to lose what should be his final high school game.
He will report for national team practice in Taichung as a member in the bullpen in preparation for the upcoming World Baseball Classic in Taichung.
Chiayi 4, Shih Yuan 0
Chiayi Senior High School pulled off a major upset by blanking Shih Yuan Senior High School of Taichung 4-0 at the Chingpu Baseball Stadium yesterday morning to reach the semi-finals.
Starter Huang Chih-wei was magnificent as he went the distance for skipper Tsai Shih-wei to pick up the shutout win, scattering five hits, while fanning nine and walking two to put his team in position for their best finish in recent years.
Offensively for the victors, Chen Tsong-yu and Wu Ming-hong’s combined six-for-eight hitting with two RBIs was the difference in the game.
The underdogs broke a scoreless tie in the third by scoring two runs in the inning, before doubling their lead with runs in the sixth and eighth to seal the win.
Other Scores:
‧ Ping-Jen 8, Taitung 2
‧ Mei Ho 3, Kao Yuan 6
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