Lin Chih-sheng's (
The La New Bears slugger who drove a full-count pitch from Japanese reliever Takasaki Kentaro just beyond the reach of shortstop Fukuda Koichi knocked in two runs that helped Taiwan overcome an one-run deficit to snatch the gold in dramatic fashion, putting a storybook ending to the nation's quest for the holy grail when it began play early last week.
Lin also helped his team's winning cause with a stellar defensive grab on an inning-end play in the top of the ninth that kept Japan from scoring with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.
PHOTO: AP
After trailing the Japanese by as many as three runs in the top of the seventh, Taiwan finally erupted for four game-turning runs in the bottom of the inning on five singles, a wild pitch and a sacrifice-fly to claim a 6-5 lead.
But the feisty Japanese would promptly respond with Yoshiura Takashi's two-run home run off Taiwanese reliever Tseng Song-wei (
`One more chance'
"I am glad the coach gave me one more chance at it, instead of having someone pinch-hit for me," a thankful Lin said after the game.
He was hitless in his four previous at-bats before delivering the game-clincher.
The historic victory for Taiwan began with the Japanese wasting little time getting to Taiwanese starter Chiang Jien-ming (姜建銘) (starting pitcher for Japanese professional team the Yomiuri Giants) with Yoshiura's fly ball to deep-right that bounced off centerfielder Hsieh Jia-shien's (謝佳賢) (Macoto Cobras) glove for an RBI triple that gave Japan a 1-0 lead in the opening frame.
Two more runs by Japan, courtesy of Suzuki Kanya's one-run double down the first base line and Taiwanese reliever Keng Po-shuen's (
Down by three runs, Taiwan finally troubled the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Hsieh nailed an opposite-field double off Japanese starter Isomura Hideto and scored on Hu Jin-long's blooper to shallow-right that dropped for a single before Chen Yong-ji's liner to right brought in Taiwan's second run of the game to make it 3-2.
After a scoreless fourth and fifth for both teams, Japan would tack on a run each in the sixth and seventh to lead by a 5-2 margin on Fukuda's run-scoring single in the sixth that scored Suzuki, thanks to a blown call by the first base umpire, and Yokoyama Kenichi's seventh-inning RBI single up the middle in what seemed a sure victory for Japan.
But the determined Taiwan crew was not to be denied, overcoming the three-run deficit with a four-run seventh before rallying for a second comeback that delivered the gold.
Tseng was credited with the win for pitching the final two innings in the game, despite allowing a two-run homer that put Japan ahead in the top of the eighth.
Taking the disheartening loss for Japan was his counterpart Takasaki, who pitched Japan out of a two-on-with-no-outs jam in a scoreless eighth for Taiwan before Lin made him pay on the game-winner.
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