USA are U-12 Baseball World Champions

USA beat (7-2) Chinese Taipei and stay on top of the U-12 Baseball World. The defending champions take the lead on a home run by Kai Caranto. The shortstop moves to the mound to pitch the last 2 innings and earn the save. Exactly as he did against Mexico in the last game of the supe round. USA outhit (8-4) Chinese Taipei and didn’t commit an error, proving to be the best team.

Starting pitchers Brandon Olivera and Chien Yu En are just little less then perfect in the first 2 frames. Both teams reach on 2 out walks, but never get beyond first.
With one out in the top of the third, USA take the lead. Second baseman Butt walks and center fielder Reiland follows with a single to left. Chien Yu En gets Atmanczyk swinging and goes ahead (0-2) in the count on Caranto. The shortstop (and the hero against Mexico yesterday) is all over Chien fourth pitch (a hanging breaking ball) and drives it all the way over the left field fence for a 3 run homer. First baseman Velazquez makes it 4-0 with a towering solo shot to the right. It’s all for Chien and Han SHuo Heng moves from third to the mound. He strikes out left fielder Burnes to end the at bat.

Caranto swings for the go ahead home run

In the top of the fourth USA get pretty close to another home run. With 2 outs and Arambula (walk) on first, Olivera takes Han Shuo Heng deep to left center, but Liu Wei I is able to make the fly out just clear of the fence.
In the bottom half of the inning shortstop Yang Yi Cheng gets the first hit of his team against Olivera. Right fielder Tseng Yi Wei works the count full and then goes deep to left. Burnes gets to the fly out just a couple of steps from the fence. To get back into the game Chinese Taipei need usual suspect Pai Chen An. The catcher looks at a ball, then sends a rocket well over the left field fence and just a few steps shy of the bleechers to cut USA lead to half.

Pai home run took Chinese Taipei back into the game

Caranto takes USA on the board again in the fifth. He singles, then gets to second on a throwing error by pitcher (pick off attempt) and scores when Velazquez doubles to left field. Burnes follows with a base hit and takes Velazquez to third. Han Shuo Heng strikes out right fielder Egan for the second out, then he gets confused as Burns tries a delayed steal to second, throws away the ball in an attempt to prevent the steal and literally gives up 2 more runs. Now USA lead 7-2.
Olivera walks Chien Yu En and leaves the mound to Caranto. Third baseman Yang Nien Tsu takes him immediately off the center field wall for a double. Caranto comes back to strike out first baseman Kuo Shu Wei on 2 consecutive change ups. On pinch hitter Hsu Chia Chin, USA manage to manufacture a non ritual double play. Chien Yu En is trapped between third and home and is tagged for the second out. As Yang Nien Tsu gets to third, Hsu tries to reach second and is tagged for the third out.

The USA are U-12 World Champions for the third time in a row

The double play ends up being the game. Han Shuo Heng keeps Chinese Taipei alive with an infield hit in the bottom of the sixth, but on Pai Chen An grounder to second the game is over.

Chinese Taipei pitcher Han Shuo Heng (number 15) becomes emotional after the final. Number 11 is infielder Lui Wei I