TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan beat Japan on Sunday (Sept. 8) to take its first U-18 Asian Baseball Championship in 17 years.

In Sunday's showdown, outfielder Ko Ching-hsien (柯敬賢) showcased excellent offensive and defensive skills, while Lin Bo-chun (林鉑濬) provided solid relief pitching, per CNA. Through a strong team effort, Taiwan pulled away by the seventh inning and defeated Japan 6-1, securing the third title in team history.

The victory was a chance for Taiwan to get revenge after losing to Japan 0-1 in the Super Round match on Friday (Sept. 6). However, in Sunday's final, Japan struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Ishizuka Yusei hit a single.

In the top of the third inning, Taiwan fought back. Liu Cheng-yu (劉承佑) was hit by a pitch and advanced through a sacrifice bunt. Ko then hit a triple to left field, bringing in the tying run. 

The game was paused for about 10 minutes due to rain. When play resumed, Ko returned to third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tseng Wei-che (曾偉喆), giving Taiwan the lead.

Taiwan’s offense surged again in the top of the fifth inning. Huang Tien-tzu (黃天賜) started with a single, Liu advanced him with a sacrifice bunt, and Tseng Sheng-an (曾聖安) added another single. 

Ko's sacrifice fly brought in an insurance run. In the top of the sixth, Taiwan capitalized on a single by Tseng Sheng-an, a wild pitch, and a walk to load the bases. Chiang Ting-i (江庭毅) then drew a walk, forcing in a run.

In the top of the seventh, Taiwan took advantage of Japan’s shaky pitching, drawing three consecutive walks. Tseng Wei-che followed with a hit to score another run, and Chang Chao-hung's (張趙紘) infield single brought in the sixth run for Taiwan.

Taiwan’s starting pitcher, Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希), gave up one run in the first inning and was replaced after giving up two consecutive hits with two outs in the bottom of the third. Lin took over and threw fastballs, striking out Ishizuka Yusei to end the inning. 

Lin faced a bases-loaded situation in the fifth but executed a double play to escape without giving up any runs, shouting defiantly after the key play.

Yang pitched a total of 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, striking out three, and giving up one earned run. Lin relieved him and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, securing the victory for Taiwan.

Taiwan previously won the U18 Asian Baseball Championship in 2001 and 2007. In the most recent tournament in 2018, they finished as runners-up, losing to South Korea.