Aug 13, 2014 3 min read

Jose Ronda slowly made his way around the dugout, hugging his players and coaches. With some, he shared a few words; with others, a few tears.

The Levittown, Puerto Rico All-Stars had just been eliminated from the Pony League World Series, because of the heroics of third baseman Chun En Lin, in a Wednesday morning game at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington Park.

Lin cracked a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning as Chinese Taipei won 5-2, in the only extra-inning game in the series to this point.

“Obviously, it’s the toughest loss in my life,” said Ronda. “We fought so hard. We thought this would be our game.”

Ronda was even more sure when center fielder Hermes Colon hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning, tying the game, 2-2. Puerto Rico was the home team, an advantage for extra-inning games.

“We knew we would have the last at-bat,” Ronda said. “I really thought that we would win in a walkoff in the eighth.”

These two teams met three times in the series, splitting the first two games. Levittown faltered late in an 11-1 loss to Taipei in the first but wrestled away a 4-2 victory Tuesday that set up yesterday morning’s elimination game.

The winner got to advance to the championship game, where Hilo, Hawaii, awaited. The loser got to pass out hugs and well-wishes before heading home.

“These were championship-caliber games,” said Ronda. “I’m proud of our guys. They could not have played any harder. Luck was just not on our side.”

Chinese Taipei had a lot to do with that.

Taipei jumped on Levittown starter Jorge Benetiz for a run in the first inning. Zong Ci Chang drew a one-out walk and moved to second base on an infield single by Ta Yu Chiu. Hung We Tu drove in Chang with a single to right field, then was picked off first by Benetiz to end the inning.

The score remained that way until the fourth inning. Chao Yu Yeh led off with a walk, then moved to third on a single by Tu. Yeh came home when Benetiz uncorked a wild pitch.

Chinese Taipei nearly scored again in the inning but second baseman Yadiel Narvaez made a terrific leaping stab of a line drive ticket for a single to right and turned it into a double play by catching Tu off the bag.

Levittown turned a tough 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth to avoid giving up another run. Colon then hit his home run, the fourth of the series for him, and the game was tied.

“I was worried after they tied the game,” said Chinese Taipei manager Wei Chih Huang.

But Lin alleviated those worries.

“He’s hit one or two home runs in the series,” said Huang. “He has the ability.”

Levittown leaves the series after tying three records during a 19-1 victory over Corpus Christi: three individual home runs in a game by Colon; three home runs in an inning and six home runs in a game.

“This game came down to one pitch,” said Ronda. “And it was just a matter of location.”