Taipei Municipal Fulin Elementary School’s baseball team yesterday beat South Korea in the regional final to win the right to represent the Asia-Pacific region in this year’s Little League Baseball World Series.
The Taiwan team’s 1-0 victory over hosts South Korea was largely down to the excellent performance of starting pitcher Liao Kuan-shu, who pitched six scoreless innings, in which he only gave up two hits at Hwaseong Dream Park in South Korea.
After Taiwan earned a single in the bottom of the second inning, Liao in the third hit a two-out double, helping to eke out a 1-0 victory, as they capitalized on South Korea’s mistakes.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Municipal Fulin Elementary School baseball team via CNA
The Asia-Pacific regional tournament started on Wednesday last week, with Taiwan on Thursday losing to South Korea 2-1. Taiwan won back their confidence the next day, as they dominated New Zealand 15-0, which they followed up on Saturday with a 6-0 victory over Guam.
On Sunday, they again blanked their opponents, mastering the Philippines with a 12-0 win. Liao also shone in that game, hitting a three-run homer to end the first inning 4-0, and following it up with another three-run homer in the second.
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for children aged 10 to 12.
From 1969 to 1996, Taiwanese teams won 17 World Series. Taiwan has not represented the Asia-Pacific Region in the series since 2015.
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