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A four-run first is enough for second Chinese Taipei U-23 World Cup win

A four-run first is enough for second Chinese Taipei U-23 World Cup win
25/09/2021
Four runs were all sidearm right-hander Chen Yu-Hung needed. He limited the Czech Republic to one hit over six innings.

Chinese Taipei will head into the third day of Group A play atop the standings as the lone 2-0 team following a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic on Friday afternoon in Ciudad Obregon.

All of the offense for Chinese Taipei came in the first when the team erupted for four runs on five hits. Starter Chen Yu-Hung tossed six dazzling innings of one-hit ball to hand the Czech Republic its first loss of the tournament.

Tseng Chen-Tso led off the home half of the first with a single, Wang Yu-Chuan then reached on an error and Chen Sheng-Ping followed, delivering what would turn out to be the game-winning hit, a two-run double to the gap in right-center. Chen scored one batter later on a Cheng Tsung-Che RBI single that made it 3-0 before an out had been recorded by Czech starter David Mergans.

Lin Shuan-Yi drove in the fourth and final run of the frame with two-outs when he singled home Shen Jen-Ching.

That was more than enough for the starter Chen, who did not allow a baserunner until the fourth. The submarining right-hander struck out six.
"I was a little nervous since this was my first game at the international level. I soon found my best control," he commented.

The only Czech run came in the sixth inning when Vojtech Mensik plated Radim Novotny on a groundout to third. Novotny had reached on an error. Marek Chlup registered the only Czech hit of the day, an infield single in the top of the fourth.

Tomas Hrbek was outstanding in relief of Mergans, tossing four innings of shutout ball to keep his team in the game. The lefty struck out six and allowed just three hits in the outing.

"I'm very satisfied with my pitching," commented Czech manager Vladimir Chlup. "They kept us in the game against World No. 3."

Despite the setback, the Czech Republic will look to get back in the win column on Saturday morning when they take on fellow European nation Germany in the morning game.

Chinese Taipei takes on Cuba on Saturday in the afternoon matchup.

"So far, everything has gone as we had planned," said reliever Chih-ting Wang, "Hopefully it will continue."