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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taiwan defeat Tennessee to take third in US
Taiwan’s Li Fang-mo slides into home off a base hit by Wu Hsuan-hung, as Tennessee’s Bo Daniel misses the ball during the fourth inning of the consolation third-place game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. Photo: AP
Staff writer, with CNA, / Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Taiwan on Sunday blanked Tennessee 2-0 to finish third at the Little League World Series, their best performance in more than a decade.
It was Taipei Municipal Fulin Elementary School’s third shutout of the tournament, where they were 4-1, losing only to Curacao in the international championship final.
Taiwan on Sunday was boosted by a strong performance by starting pitcher Liao Yuan-shu, who dismissed 13 batters in six innings, giving up only three hits with no walks.
While both teams each had three hits, Taiwan had the advantage of speed, and capitalized on Tennessee’s errors to maintain a lead in the top of the second.
In the fourth inning, with Li Fang-mo on second base, pinch hitter Wu Hsuan-hung popped a hit to center field to send Li home and pad the margin to 2-0.
The offensive leeway was enough for Liao, who calmly struck out two in a row, after surrendering a double, to stifle the Tennessee offense in the bottom of the fourth.
“As this is my last game in Little League, I wanted a win, no matter what,” Liao, 12, said after the game, adding that the little bit of “havoc” in the fourth did not disturb him at all.
For the tournament, Liao pitched 12-1/3 innings with 23 strikeouts and seven hits, with no walks or runs.
Wu, who hit Taiwan’s crucial run in Sunday’s game, said he was pleased with his performance and delighted with his team’s third place finish in the series.
The 12-year-old batter said he could not wait to share his joy with his family.
Team manager Chang Tzu-chien said it was an emotional game, as it was the best performance by a baseball team from the Fulin school in more than a decade.
He credited the players for the team’s historic performance in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, saying it did not hinge on just a few stars, and he was proud of their accomplishments.
Taiwan, who hold a tournament record 17 titles, had not made it to the series since 2015 and had not finished third or better since 2010. The last time Taiwan won the championship title was in 1996.
In the series final, Hawaii beat Curacao 13-3 to secure their fourth title.
Additional reporting by AP
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
Li Fang-Mo of the Asia-Pacific Region team from Taipei City, Chinese Taipei hits a single during the second inning of the Little League World Series consolation game against the Southeast Region team from Nolensville, Tennessee at Little League International Complex on August 28, 2022 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Photo: AFP
