Japan tamed Venezuela 5-2 to keep the pressure on the US while Taiwan sank archrival China’s softball medal hopes with a 2-1 win in Olympic preliminary round play yesterday.
Japan used a four-run fifth-inning burst to beat Venezuela, improving their record to 5-1. They now sit just behind unbeaten US (5-0), who can clinch top spot in the standings with a victory over winless Netherlands later yesterday.
China’s loss dropped their record to 2-4 while Taiwan (2-4) earned a small measure of revenge for an earlier baseball defeat.
But the contest lacked the drama and tension seen on Friday when the two rivals clashed on the Wukesong baseball diamond in a politically-tinged thriller won by China.
Competing under the name Chinese Taipei, the Taiwanese team earned one run in the top of the first inning after Lo Hsiao-ting reached first base with a two-out hit, rushed third base when the Chinese team made an error, and made it to home base on a hit by teammate Chiang Hui-chuan.
China launched a counterattack in the second inning. After getting to first base with a hit, Wu Di made it to second when teammate Guo Jiaji hit a sacrifice bunt. Another hit by Sun Li sent her to home base to score for a 1-1 tie.
Taiwan scored another run in the fourth inning, leading the game 2-1, after strong hitter Chiang made first base with a hit and then made it to home base when teammate Lu Hsueh-mei followed with another hit. Neither team scored more runs thereafter.
Chinese Taipei used Wu Chia-yen as starting pitcher, who was relieved by Chueh Ming-hui in the bottom of the third. Together, they allowed the opposing team five hits.
China’s starting pitcher Yu Huili was replaced by Li Qi in the fifth inning. They allowed Chinese Taipei six hits.
In its four previous matches played Aug. 12-16, Chinese Taipei defeated Venezuela 3-0, but lost to Canada 1-6, to Japan 1-2 and to the US 0-7.
The Taiwanese softballers will play against the Netherlands at 9:30am today.
Mo Cheng, secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Amateur Softball Association, said the team needs a victory over the Netherlands to secure fifth place.
With Taiwan out of medal contention and China clinging to slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals the contest was more about cross-strait bragging rights than medals.
The game began with a display of sportsmanship as Chinese players in their red and yellow uniforms mingled with their Taiwanese counterparts in their blue and white kit for a combined team photo.
Played in a steady drizzle in front a boisterous near-capacity crowd at Fengtai Field, Taiwan scored in the top of the first inning and never relinquished the lead, clinching victory on Lu Hsueh-Mei’s fourth inning RBI double.
With China fighting to stay in the medal hunt, some the earlier goodwill disappeared in the seventh when Taiwan protested that China coaches were using headphones to communicate with players.
The protest triggered a lengthy debate at home plate between umpires and both managers before play resumed after a Chinese coach was ordered to remove his headset.
“Protesting is part of the game,” Taiwan manager Chang Chia Hsing told reporters. “I thought they had earphones for communicating.
“The China team had a very good performance but I think they suffered from high stress and pressure to win,” he said.
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