Taiwan on Wednesday defeated a US team 3-1 in the final of the Pony League World Series in Pennsylvania to take the under-14 title.
It was a tight affair throughout the regulation seven-inning game.
In the fourth inning, the US’ West Zone champions from Long Beach, California, took a 1-0 lead with a solo homer by Bren Wilkinson.
In the next inning, Taiwan, represented by a team from New Taipei City, evened the score when starting pitcher Tien Tzu-chieh helped his own cause at the plate by lashing a single into the outfield to bring home a runner on third.
With two runners on base, third baseman Chen Cheng-yi ripped a double into a gap in right field to drive in two runs and provide Taiwan with a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish.
In the bottom of the fifth, Long Beach looked ready to score with two runners on base and no outs, but Tien ended the threat with two groundouts sandwiched between a strikeout.
In the final frame, Taiwan again risked leaking runs when Long Beach had two runners on base, but reliever Lin En-yu struck out the final batter to end the game.
Tien was sharp throughout the contest, yielding one run on two hits and one walk, and fanning 13 batters through 6-2/3 innings to register the victory.
It was the ninth time a Taiwanese team has won the U14 title at the Pony League World Series.
Head coach Chiu Shih-teng said his players were under a lot of pressure before the game, as there were other Taiwanese youth teams making winning runs at this year’s Pony League tournaments.
The players were elated to capture the U14 title, because it meant that Taiwan had claimed the “triple crown,” as Taiwanese teams also won the U12 and U18 titles, he said.
“Over the past few days of playoff games, I kept shouting instructions to the players and reminded them of the game’s details; my voice is almost hoarse now,” Chiu said.
“At times I got angry and yelled out harsh words, but everyone performed well through the playoffs,” he said. “The most important thing was to instill in them a desire to win so they would give their best effort, which enabled the team to win this title.”
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