Chinese Taipei snaps six-year Pony title drought
Players from Chinese Taipei celebrate after defeating San Bernardino, Calif., 12-1 to win the Pony League World Series on Wednesday at Lew Hays Pony Field at Washington Park. The championship is the seventh for Chinese Taipei, whose pitchers posted a 1.23 ERA for the tournament with 34 strikeouts.
Chinese Taipei holds the championship trophy after a 12-1 victory over San Bernardino, Calif., in five innings Wednesday night.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Chinese Taipei players get emotional after winning the Pony League World Series on Wednesday, Augsut 12.
Chinese Taipei’s Ho Yi Lung races to third base during the first inning Wednesday. Yi Lung hit a home run later in the game.
In Asia, baseball is more than a game. It’s a way of life. From a young age, players are taught the fundamentals of the sport with an emphasis on discipline and respect.
More than an hour before first pitch of the Pony League World Series championship game Wednesday night, Chinese Taipei’s players walked down to Lew Hays Pony Field, and before walking out to the outfield for warmups, they took off their hats and bowed toward the infield grass. It’s a ritual before every game at every level.
The idea: respect the field and the sport, and it will be reciprocated. That passion and thorough dedication to baseball are reasons why Asia has produced some of the best teams that have competed for PONY baseball’s highest honor.
It showed throughout the six-day tournament in Washington. After a six-year wait, Chinese Taipei can bring a title back to Taoyuan County, Taiwain.
Behind starting pitcher Lee Cheng-Chen’s nine strikeouts and a five-run first inning, Chinese Taipei defeated San Bernardino, Calif., 12-1, in five innings to win its seventh world series title.
“It’s a big relief. Before the game, I was ready to take it and bring it home,” Cheng-Chen said. “At first, with the time difference and the change of weather, I had to make adjustments. But after that first game, I got more confident.”
Chinese Taipei’s pitchers finished the tournament with a 1.23 ERA and 34 strikeouts, including Cheng-Chen’s nine-strikeout performance in the opening game against Puerto Rico and a no-hitter by Hsu Jo-Hsi Tuesday night. The team’s defense committed only two errors and they outscored opponents 38-3 in four games.
After San Bernardino starting pitcher Devyn Lopez got two quick outs to start the top of the first inning, Chinese Taipei locked in on the right-hander’s fastball.
Back-to-back singles were followed by a six-pitch walk before third baseman Lin Chun-En singled through the infield and into left field for a 1-0 lead.
Wu Chi-Lung fought off an inside fastball on the next pitch, sending it to left-center field to score two runs, and Chen Feng lined a two-run single to left for a 5-0 advantage – matching the number of runs San Bernardino allowed in its first three games of the tournament.
Seven consecutive batters reached before relief pitcher Matt Bardowell got a strikeout to end the inning.
“I kept emphasizing teamwork,” Chinese Taipei manager Huang Wei-Chi said. “It’s not a one-man show. Everyone has to pull together and we were lucky to get off to a good start. That put pressure on the opponent and we kept going from there.”
San Bernardino finally broke through in the third when catcher Joe Manialung and center fielder Eddie Aldama hit back-to-back one-out singles, but Chun-En helped suppress any rally a highlight-reel diving stop. Jon Carlos hit a one-hopper that almost snuck into the outfield, which would have likely drove in two runs, Third baseman Lin Chun-En dove to his left, catching the ball and quickly throwing to second for the force.
On the next pitch, second baseman Damien Sanchez hit an RBI single to right to get San Bernardino on the board
“Offensively, yes, I’m disappointed,” San Bernardino manager Abel Madueño said. “(Cheng-Chen) did a heck of a job and shut down a strong offense. We went 22-3 this season, so I can’t complain. I’m proud of the boys for how far they have come.”
Bardowell held Chinese Taipei scoreless in the second and third innings, but he could not contain the hard-hitting offense. Right fielder Ho Yi-Lung hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning and Chinese Taipei spoiled Bardowell’s performance in the fifth.
Chun-En, who was named the Wilson Sporting Goods World Series Batting Champion after going 9-for-12 in the tournament, started the fifth inning with a single. Chih-Lung reached first after a line drive went off Bardowell’s glove and Feng hit a two-run double for the 8-1 advantage.
Chinese Taipei, which scattered 15 hits, batted through the order and scored four more runs to kick in the mercy rule.
After allowing a run, Cheng-Chen, who allowed just three hits, retired seven straight batters and got Eddie Aldama to ground out to end the game. Chinese Taipei players, who are all students at Taoyuan Shin Min school where their manager is a gym teacher, emptied water bottles in the air as they ran toward the mound.
“I’m so proud of the team,” Wei-Chih said. “They are my students and without their hard work and dedication, this wouldn’t have happened.”
NOTES: Washington’s Danny Boardley received the John D. Voytek Memorial Award, which is presented to the host team’s leading hitter throughout the tournament. Boardley went 3-for-5 in Washington’s two games.