Korea win against Chinese Taipei in dramatic tie-break finish, set things up for triple tie at top of Super Round
Korea scored three runs in the top of the eighth. Chinese Taipei scored two in the bottom half of the frame, and the final out came with the tying run rounding third.
World No. 3 Korea defeated defending champions and world No. 2 Chinese Taipei in a dramatic eighth-inning finish, 3-2. The result allows for a triple-way tie at the top of the Super Round standings.
The game started at 12:30 at LECOM Park in Bradenton and rolled quickly through five innings.
The starting pitchers dominated. Korea's left-hander Junseo Hwang and Chinese Taipei right-hander Pao-Lo Huang allowed only two hits over five innings.
The game was delayed for two hours because of an electric storm alert and the consequent rain. As it resumed at 15:52, both pitchers left.
Relievers proved as effective as starters. Korea's fireballer Seohyeon Kim touched 96 miles (153.6 kilometres) per hour, and Chinese Taipei's right-hander Po Chun Lin established himself in the low 90s.
Korea scored all the runs they needed in the top of the eighth. Yu Cheng Wu took over for Lin and got the first out as Hangyeol Park bunted to advance the runners. Pinch hitter Jaesang Kim hit a hard chopper to third. Chieh Hsi Huang made an effective diving stop and then threw away from the first base bag allowing a run. A second run scored on a groundout, and Korea made it 3-0 on a base hit by Junyoung Jeong.
Seohyeon Kim returned to the mound for the bottom half of the frame. Hsin Chiu led off with a single to load the bases. With two outs, Hsi Chieh Huang hit a bloop single to right that was worth two runs. With Jun Wei Zheng rounding third, Huang tried to reach second. He was caught into a trap by shortstop Jaesang Kim and first baseman Minsuk Kim and tagged for the out that closed the game.
Korea will play Mexico on the final day of the Super Round on Saturday while Chinese Taipei take on the Netherlands.
World No. 2 Chinese Taipei faces No. 3 Korea at LECOM Park
Korea gave the ball to Junseo Hwang
In the fifth, Sun Yi Lei was the first batter for Chinese Taipei to reach on an outside the infield hit
Top CPBL draft pick Pao Lo Huang took the mound for Chinese Taipei
Bomseok Kim was the only Koren batter to get a hit against Pao Lo Huang through the first five innings
Fireballer Saohyeon Kim earned the win for Korea
Junyoung Jeon delivered in the top of the eighth
Korea took a 3-0 lead
Hsi Chieh Huang hit a two-RBI blooper in the bottom of the eighth
The relay to the infield by Jeongmin Kim was accurate
