TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuei-Shan Elementary lost a closely fought championship match against a team from Lake Mary, Florida, in the finals of the Little League Baseball World Series finals in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Sunday (Aug. 25).

The Taiwan team led throughout much of the game, facing many opportunities to pull ahead with bases loaded opportunities. However, the US opponent fought hard to hang around, and in the eighth inning, a bunt and fielding error led to a US victory by a final score of 1-2. 

Earlier, Kuei-Shan Elementary breezed the competition in the 12-day tournament, easily dispatching Canada, Australia, Cuba, Japan, and Venezuela. Outstanding starting pitching and timely hitting powered the Taiwan team to the finals.

The sold-out finals at Howard J. Lamade Stadium saw many overseas Taiwanese wave national flags as they watched the game outside the stadium. Despite a crowd of supporters both inside and outside the stadium, Taiwan bats would fall silent, especially in critical moments with the championship on the line. 

In the first inning, Taiwan was the first to strike, with two batters receiving free passes and occupying second and third bases. Taiwan’s Hu Yen-chun (胡諺鈞) plated the first run of the game with a single, putting his team up 1-0.

The US would threaten in the second inning with a single, a batter hit by a pitch, and a walk, loading the bases. However, a well-defended bunt led to a double play, and Taiwan's starting pitcher, Ciou Zhih-kai (邱志愷), got a critical strikeout, preserving a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, Taiwan would continue to fly out or ground out, failing to score for two consecutive innings. The US team put runners on second and third, but was prevented from scoring another run with solid defensive play.

In the fifth inning, Taiwan loaded the bases, leading to a pitching change by the US team. However, the US relied on solid defensive play to prevent any runs from scoring. 

Taiwan also changed pitchers in the bottom half of the inning, bringing Chiu Wei-che (邱唯喆) to the mound, striking out the next three batters, and preserving a 1-0 lead.

In the crucial sixth inning, Taiwan once again struggled at the plate, with batters striking out in quick succession. The US would then tie the game 1-1 on consecutive hits, sending the match into extra innings.

Taiwan managed to put two runners on base in the seventh inning on consecutive hits but failed to score a run. The US team also failed to muster any offense in the bottom half of the seventh inning.

In the eighth inning, Taiwan failed to generate any offense, opening the door for the US to come from behind and win the game. A poorly fielded bunt with no one covering first base led the winning run, sealing the victory for the US team and relegating Taiwan to runner-up status with a final score of 1-2.

After the game, many Taiwanese players were overcome with emotion, holding back tears as they watched the US team celebrate on the field.