《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taichung students win World Series in Michigan

/ Staff writer, with CNA

Taichung’s Chung Shan Junior High School on Sunday captured the Junior League Baseball World Series championship after defeating Oil Belt Junior League baseball team from Corpus Christi, Texas, 7-1 in Michigan.

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Representing the Asia-Pacific region, the Taichung side became the eighth Taiwanese team to win the Junior League Baseball World Series.

The tournament, which featured teams of players aged between 12 and 14, was not held in 2020 and last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whether it’s a hot day or cold winter day, they’re always there for practice on the training field. We believe we can fly,” Chung Shan Junior High School said in a Facebook post congratulating the team.

Chung Shan booked a 5-0 record and hit 61 runs en route to the championship, and Chung Shan head coach Lan Wen-chuan told the Central News Agency in a post-game interview that education, morality and on-field behavior were key to their success.

After an hour-long rain delay, Chung Shan opened up with two runs in the first inning and another in the second to establish a 3-0 lead.

However, the Taiwanese team gave up one run in the top of the fourth inning as a hit sent an Oil Belt player on second base to the home plate, nixing hopes of a shutout.

Chung Shan quickly regained their three-point lead in the bottom of the fourth and put three more runs on the board in the fifth before closing out the game with two scoreless innings.

Chung Shan pitcher Fang Shao-chi recorded eight strikeouts across seven innings, giving up only six hits and one run, closing the game with 94 pitches.

Fang was also a commanding presence at the plate throughout the tournament as he knocked out 14 hits, including two home runs, over 21 plate appearances in five games.

The Junior League Baseball World Series featured 12 teams from six US regions and six international regions.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES