U-12 Baseball World Cup: Chinese Taipei overpower USA to end Day 1 of the super round

Chinese Taipei showcased the meaning of the term overpowering, defeating USA 16-2 on 5 home runs. In the previous 5 games the americans hadn’t given up a home run and the opponents had scored only 15 runs against them.



Chinese Taipei just needed a couple of swings to go ahead 2-0. Both center fielder Chien Yu En and catcher Pai Chen An got to USA starter Owen Egan for solo homers.
Lead off hitter Yang Yi Cheng was also the starting pitcher for Chinese Taipei. His fastball looked anywhere near the speed of Egan (trailing by 6 miles), but for a start he looked more effective. He actually loaded the bases allowing a couple of hits and a walk, but came back with back to back strike outs (Burnes and Egan).
USA got on the board in the bottom of the second. Third baseman Arambula drove the fifth pitch by Yang all the way to the right field foul pole for a solo homer. Butt put the potential tying run at second with a double to left. A walk to shortstop Caranto forced Chinese Taipei to make a call to the bullpen for left hander Tseng Yi Wei. Lefty center field Reiland got to a hanging curve ball for an RBI single that tied the game.

Yang Yi Cheng probably thought that his reliever Tseng could use some help. So, with one out in the top of the third, he homered to right on Egan’s first pitch to put Chinese Taipei ahead again.
With 2 outs and the bases empty in the fourth, Team USA gave the call to Trent Abel. The new pitcher fell immediately into trouble. Right fielder Hsu Chia Chin singled (the very first Chinese Taipei hit that was not a home run) and left fielder Yang Nien Tsu walked. First baseman Kuo Shu Wei turned Abel’s third pitch into a rocket to left field for a 3 run homer. Abel then walked Tseng Yi Wei and left the mound to Rice. The new pitcher quickly loaded the bases (back to back hits by Yang Yi Cheng and Chien Yu Yen) for Han Shuo Heng. The third baseman looked at a strike and then delivered a moon shot well over the left field fence for a grand slam.

A good crowd witnessed Chinese Taipei show of power on Thursday night in Tainan

With Chinese Taipei leading 10-2 in the top of the fifth inning, the Technical Commission was forced to call a suspension because of strong lightning in the area.
The game resumed after 30 minutes. In the meantime, Chinese Taipei attitude hadn’t changed, while probably USA had already given up. Chinese Taipei added 6 more runs (on 3 hits, a walk and taking advantage of a defensive error) against Ashton Larson, extending their lead to an astonishing 16-2.