TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After a week of tournament play, Taoyuan’s Hsin Ming Junior High School beat a team from Michigan's D5 Region in the finals of the Junior League Baseball World Series on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 20) by a score of 6:0.

Taiwan’s team benefited from a strong outing by starting pitcher Huang Chih-hsu (黃智煦), who went seven innings without surrendering a run, putting his team in an advantageous situation in the final match of the Junior League Baseball Championship. Fortunately, Huang had early run support, and the outcome of the game was never in question, per UDN.

Taoyuan Hsin Ming Junior High School got off to a quick start in the championship match. In the first inning, it relied on a walk, a stolen base, and a double to take the lead with the first run of the game. Later, a two-run blast by Wu Po-cheng (吳柏承) put the score at 4:0.

Po-Cheng Wu's swing secured a 2-run home run, leading the Tao-Yuan Junior League (Taiwan) to victory over Taylor North (Michigan) in the finale of the 2023 Junior League World Series.



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— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) August 20, 2023

However, the game was never in question as starting pitcher Huang Chih-hsu proved almost unhittable, retiring the first 12 batters he faced through the first four innings of the game. In the fifth inning, he gave up an outfield single but recovered by inducing the next batter into a double play.

Huang would end the game scattering just two hits over seven shutout innings, ensuring victory for Taoyuan’s Hsin Ming Junior High School, which has proven a powerful force in youth baseball, responsible for five out of nine Junior League Baseball World Series won by a Taiwanese team.

Junior League Baseball is open to competitors aged 12–14, with teams permitted to be composed of an all-star roster representing a specific district or a specific school or club team. The tournament is less popular than the better-known Little League Baseball World Series, which is played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is currently ongoing with players aged 9–12. Taiwan's Kuei-Shan Elementary School has made it to the knockout round of 16 competitors, blessed with exceptional pitching.

Congratulations to Taiwan on winning the Junior League World Series with a 6-0 victory over Taylor North on August 20th, 2023. #JLWS2023 #Champions pic.twitter.com/8IpFNjecZy

— STATE CHAMPS! Michigan (@statechampsmich) August 20, 2023