VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup: Chinese Taipei tops Dominican Republic in bronze medal game

Chinese Taipei beat the Dominican Republic, 9-5, and earned the VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup bronze medal, keeping their streak of medaling at every edition since the inception of the tournament in 2011.

The game began as a slugfest. The two teams combined four home runs and five doubles. In the end, the best defence won.

The turning point came in the bottom of the fourth when a defensive error allowed Wu-Sheng Zhi to reach. He would score the go-ahead run.

Two more errors helped Chinese Taipei add an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth.

Chinese Taipei-Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic took an early lead. Second baseman Carlos Nieves doubled with one out off left-handed starter Sheng Zhi Wu. He advanced to third on a strike out and then stole home.

Chinese Taipei tied it in the bottom half of the frame against left-hander Miguel Grullon on back-to-back doubles by center fielder Rui Xin Chen and catcher Po Sheng Chen.

Center fielder Miguel Mella homered in the top of the second to put the Dominican Republic ahead.

As the rain started to fall, Sheng Zhi Wu helped his own case. With runners at second and third and two outs, he turned the fourth pitch by Grullon into a home run to deep right-center.

With runners at the corners and one out, the umpiring crew called the game under a heavy thunderstorm.

The game resumed after a suspension of one hour and 20 minutes.

After Wu got the second out, third baseman Marlon Polanco welcomed reliever Yun Zhou Qiu with a three-run homer to put the Dominican Republic ahead, 5-4.

In the bottom of the third, Chinese Taipei center fielder Rui Xin Chen looked at two pitches by reliever Jerson Guzman. Then he took the third over the right field fence for a solo homer that tied the game again.

In the bottom of the fourth, Wu Sheng Zhi beat the throw home on a slow roller to shortstop and put Chinese Taipei ahead.

ShortstopTzu Chiao Ou singled to the left to make it 7-5.

Chinese Taipei added a run when Jimenez walked left fielder Chien Shao Hsiang with the bases loaded. The fourth Dominican pitcher, Polanco, took the mound to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Chinese Taipei took advantage of a defensive error and scored the ninth run on a groundout.

Qui earned the win for Chinese Taipei. He faced only three hitters in the sixth and struck out pinch hitter Obed Guerrero to end the game.