Taipei takes it all in PLWS
Chinese Teipei
Kelli Alderson/For the Observer-Reporter
Members of the Chinese Taipei team celebrate their Pony League World Series title Wednesday night following a 4-1 win over Monterrey, Mexico in the finals.
Taipei
Members of the Chinese Taipei team celebrate their Pony League World Series title Wednesday night following a 4-1 win over Monterrey, Mexico in the finals at Lew Hays Pony Field.
Kelli Alderson/For the Observer-Reporter
The king has returned to its throne.
After two years away from the Pony League World Series because of COVID-19, New Taipei City, otherwise known as Taiwan or Chinese Taipei, is champion.
It won in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, and now has 11 championships overall, earning No. 11 with a 4-1 win over Monterrey, Mexico.
Through an interpreter, Taipei shortstop/pitcher Lee, Cheng-Yen said the feeling of striking out Monterry’s Miguel Alejandro Jr. for the last out was “awesome.”
Cheng-Yeng himself was awesome. He drove in a run at the plate, and pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief, striking out seven and not giving up any runs.
For Monterrey, it was its first championship appearance since 1972, and coach Enrique Hinojosa was proud of the effort.
“It means a lot,” he said. “As I said when I talked to everybody, it was just humbling to get to where we got. It’s a great experience that we know that so few kids get to play in this tournament. So it was great.
“We needed a couple of additional hits. We had three or four contacts that were really good, but directly into the hands of the fielder. So it is what it is.”
After three scoreless innings, New Taipei City scored first with three runs in the top of the fourth.
All three runs came on balls that didn’t leave the infield.
With one out and runners on second and third, catcher Sun Kai You hit a ground ball to Monterrey shortstop Diego Alvarado.
“We knew that they were going to run and they were going bunt and they were going to make contact to advance on the bases and they did,” Hinojosa said. “We tried to stop it.”
Alvarado, playing close to the plate, threw home to try to get Lee Cheng-Yen, but he beat the throw to score the game’s first run.
One batter later, Yang Wen-Wei drove home Shih Cheng-Yu to on a fielders’ choice to double Taipei’s advantage. The next hitter, Chang Shao-Chun, drove in Wen-Wei- who stole second during the at-bat- to make it 3-0.
“We knew that they were going to run and they were going bunt and they were going to make contact to advance on the bases and they did. We tried to stop it.”
Taipei added on in the fifth when Lin Xin-Hong scored on a groundout by Lee Cheng-Yen.
Mexico started to fight back in its half of the fifth, ending the shutout on an RBI single by Yosiro Estrada that scored courtesy runner Roy Kim. But Cheng-Yen, who came on in relief in the middle of the inning, struck out Miguel Alejandro Jr. with the bases loaded to keep the damage minimal. Taipei led 4-1 going into the sixth.
For Monterrey, it was a night of missed opportunities.
Mexico left eight runners on base and only scored once despite posting eight hits.
Taipei started its tournament with a win over Carribean Champion Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. It then slipped up Monday, falling 4-2 to Johnstown, before getting back on track Tuesday, first with a 12-0 mercy-rule win over North Zone champion Bay County, Michigan, in the morning, then beating Host Area champion Johnstown, 7-3, at night.
Taipei beat Johnstown again, 6-1, earlier Wednesday to put it back in the championship.