Chinese Taipei is moving on the the Little League World Series championship game after defeating Aruba. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Chinese Taipei will get another chance to end its 29-year drought without a Little League World championship title.
Representing the Asia-Pacific Region, Chinese Taipei won the Little League World Series International Championship on Saturday for the second straight year and 17th time overall.
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It came out on the right side of 1-0 pitchers’ duel against Aruba, which was representing the Caribbean Region.
Liu Wei-Heng was on the bump for Chinese Taipei, and the lefty flashed a fastball that eclipsed 70 mph and spun a curveball that kept Aruba’s batters on their toes.
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Although he allowed three singles through seven batters, he struck out the other four during his first time around the Aruba lineup. He finished with 7 Ks in 5 1/3 innings and allowed only one more hit.
Aruba’s Jayderick Wederfoor was pretty impressive on the mound, too. The righty punched out three batters in 3 1/3 innings. The only run he allowed was unearned.
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It stemmed from an error in the top of the third inning, which started with Wederfoor issuing the first of his two walks. Unfortunately for Wederfoor, a well-placed fastball to the next batter, Ho Fu-Yi, got past the mitt of Aruba catcher Isaac Arendsz. The passed ball allowed the runner to advance to second. Later in the at-bat, Fu-Yi hit a two-strike breaking ball at the knees to left field for a single.
With runners at first and third and no outs, catcher Muhammad Zaman hit a ground ball to third, where Aruba’s Liam Peña Caraballo went for a putout at first rather than going home. Not only did Zaman plate the run, but he also reached first safely because Peña Caraballo’s throw was errant.
Fu-Yi advanced to third on the error, and Zaman raced to second. A line out Caraballo snagged at third was sandwiched between a pair of strikeouts from Wederfoor, who masterfully got out of the jam.
That one run, though, was all a defensive-first Chinese Taipei needed Saturday in Williamsport.
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Aruba threatened to tie the game with one swing in the fifth, but shortstop Arnold Gismar Martha’s deep fly ball to center field was just short of the wall.
Meanwhile, Aruba kept the Chinese Taipei offense at bay, thanks to pitching from Jeter Filiciana, who moved from right field to relieve Wederfoor in the fourth inning.
With its back against the wall in the bottom of the sixth, Aruba logged its first hit since the second inning. Outfielder Emerson Mercado singled to right field.
An out later, Chinese Taipei pulled Wei-Heng for Chen Qi-Sheng, who ultimately closed the deal after stranding two runners with a game-ending strikeout.
