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Chang Yi throws a gem as Chinese Taipei earns first Super Round win

Chang Yi throws a gem as Chinese Taipei earns first Super Round win
12/11/2019
Chinese Taipei starter Chang Yi tossed 6.2 innings, giving up 4 scattered hits and 4 walks, with 4 strikeouts.

Right-handed pitcher Chang Yi pitched a gem tonight and led no. 4 ranked Chinese Taipei to a 7-0 victory over no. 3 Korea, the first win for the team in the Super Round. With this victory, Chinese Taipei remains in the hunt to claim the Olympic spot for the Asian teams.

This is the first time a Chinese Taipei first-level team shuts out Korea since the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 (20 games).

Chinese Taipei starter Chang Yi tossed 6.2 innings, giving up four scattered hits, walking four and striking out four. The 25-year old right-hander kept the Korean hitters guessing, mixing a fastball that topped out at 92 mph (149 kph/93mph) with a change-up in the low 80s and a curve ball. He totalled 112 pitches.

“I tried to mix my pitches. Our game plan was very good, our coaches did a great job and my catcher called a great game. It all worked very well for me,” said Chang at the press conference.

“It was a great performance today from all our players, but especially Chang Yi," added Chinese Taipei manager I-Chung Hong. "In the first innings of the game he kept the game scoreless in a few difficult situations, and gave us the opportunity to win the game.”

In the top of the second Chinese Taipei took a 2-run lead. With one out and a runner on first base, Sheng-Wei Wang hit a soft grounder to shortstop; Haseong Kim forced the out at second base, but Wang beat the throw to first, avoiding an inning-ending double play and keeping the offensive alive. Two pitches later, Yu-Chieh Kao doubled to left field to produce the first run of the game, and Chin-Lung Hu singled him in with a single to the left-field line.

In the top of the fourth Chinese Taipei played the small ball and added one more run. Li Lin singled and advanced with a sacrifice bunt by Wei-Chen Wang. Later, Sheng-Wei Wang drove Lin in with a single to center field.

In the seventh Chinese Taipei doubled its advantage with only one swing. Chun-Hsiu Chen found two runners on with two outs and hit a homer to left field, a no-doubter off reliever Jonghyan Won, to make it 6-0.

The last run of the game was scored by Che-Hsuan Lin in the ninth inning, on an RBI single off the bat of Hung-Yu Lin.

“It was a very important game for us,” said Korean skipper Kyungmoon Kim. “But we cannot win every game, so now we’re going to prepare the next game against Mexico.”

Chinese Tapei (1-2) and Korea (2-1) will have two days off before their next game on Friday 15 November. Chinese Taipei will face USA, while Korea will play against Mexico.