BASEBALL/Taiwan clinches bronze with 3-2 win over S. Korea at U-18 Baseball World Cup

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's men's baseball team on Sunday took home a bronze medal in the U-18 Baseball World Cup, after clinching a nail-biting 3-2 victory over South Korea following an overturned call in the tournament held in Okinawa, Japan.

With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Taiwanese catcher Jiang Ting-yi (江庭毅) drove in the game-winning run with a two-out single, sending home third-baseman Zeng Sheng-en (曾聖恩).

Zeng was originally ruled out. After Team Taiwan asked for a review, however, the play was overturned and ruled as an obstruction after the umpire determined the Korean catcher had blocked Zeng's path to home plate without possession of the ball.

Reliever Su Lan-hong (蘇嵐鴻) retired the final three Korean batters in the bottom of the inning to hold on for the win.

The victory gave Team Taiwan -- competing under the name Chinese Taipei -- its eighth bronze medal in the U-18 Baseball World Cup, which features players aged 16 to 18, since the tournament was first held in 1981.

Team Taiwan Manager Liao Hung-yuan (廖宏淵) told reporters following the victory that the whole team was doing its best both defensively and offensively. He gave high praise to all his players for showing a strong determination to win.

Jiang, who delivered the game-winning RBI single, meanwhile, told reporters that he was not particularly nervous in such a clutch moment since he had faced similar pressure before.

"With a runner in scoring position, I did not think the pitcher would throw me a fastball, so I focused instead on hitting a breaking ball," he said.

Taiwan is a three-time champion at the tournament and last won gold in 2019.

The bronze medal match on Sunday morning was a back-and-forth game.

South Korea designated hitter Kim Geonwhi smacked a solo home run off Taiwan's starter Liu Jen-yu (劉任右) in the bottom of the second inning, giving the Korean team an early 1-0 lead.

Coming from behind, Team Taiwan managed to tie the score at 1-1 before taking a 2-1 lead with three hits in the top of the fifth. The resilient Korean club later tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on a walk, a stolen base, and a timely hit by Kim.

On Sunday afternoon, defending champions Japan, who remain undefeated in the Okinawa tournament, will take on the United States in the gold medal match.

The standings of this year's U-18 from fifth to 12th place are: Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, Australia, Italy, Germany, China, and South Africa.