National Sport Training Center outslugged Taipower in a 14-9 final at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium yesterday afternoon to improve to a 3-1-1 mark, good enough for a share of the lead with Taichung’s Veetime in the standings.
Lin Ming-chieh showed off his blazing speed around the bases by stretching a triple off Taipower starter Wang Hsiang-ying into the first inside-the-park home run in the league in the bottom of the second to make the score 2-0.
That set up a three-run blast by Kuo Fu-lin in the next frame to boost National Sports Training Center’s lead to 5-0.
Photo courtesy of the CPBL
The cushion lasted less than two innings as the Power Crew answered in the top of the fifth with three runs on the strength of four straight base hits off starter Fan Meng-chen.
That was as close as Taipower got, as National Sport Training Center returned the favor and more in the bottom of the same inning with six runs, highlighted by Edgard Clemente’s two-run shot that inflated the lead to 11-3.
Following a one-hour-plus rain delay that sent the game late into the afternoon, Taipower strung together a rally attempt with three runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth.
However, it was too little too late for the Power Crew as National Sport Training Center tacked on a run in the sixth and two runs in the eighth against the Taipower bullpen to put the game away long before the final out.
Picking up the win was Fan, who surrendered three runs on five hits over as many innings, while the loss was charged against Wang, who was roughed up on the day by a potent National Sport Training Center attack.
“[The first win] really took some time to come, with the rain having spoiled at least two starts for me, but I am just glad it finally came,” Fan said after the game.
TOPCO SCIENTIFIC 9, CHII LIH CORAL 0 (5)
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Starter Cheng Wen-hao was credited with the complete-game shutout as he held the home team scoreless on four hits over five innings, while the loss went to Chii Lih Coral’s Bryan Escanio.
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