31/07/2022 1 Minute Read

Chinese Taipei hands Mexico first loss as both teams move to 2nd Place in Group A

The two baseball superpowers are now 2-1, but trail undefeated Venezuela in Group A of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan. Chinese Taipei reliever Rui Xin Chen struck out the side in the sixth inning to end the game.

Chinese Taipei beat Mexico, 3-1, Sunday night at Tainan's Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium, concluding Day 3 of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.

Third baseman Ezequiel Rivera homered off Sheng Zhi Wu to put Mexico on the scoreboard at the bottom of the second, but Chinese Taipei quickly came back. Left fielder Yu-Hsiang Yeh doubled off Johnny Jimenez and scored on an error.

Shao Hsiang Chien helped Wu get out of the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and two on, the center fielder got to a deep fly by second baseman Marcelo Garibay.

The defending World Champions scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jimenez got a groundout and then left the mound to Rivera. Chinese Taipei got to him with two runs on singles by Wu, Po Yuan Chuang and Tzu Chiao Ou.

Reliever Rui Xin Chen used 35 pitches, 24 for strikes, to throw two perfect innings and earn the win. He struck out four, including the three batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth.

Chinese Taipei and Mexico, both 2-1, now sit in second place, behind Group A leader Venezuela (3-0).

On Monday Mexico will face Italy, while Chinese Taipei will close Day 4 against South Africa.