Taiwan wins bronze medal in mercy-rule win over the Philippines

Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) Taiwan took the bronze medal at the 2026 U-18 Asian Baseball Championship after beating the Philippines 13-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule victory on Sunday afternoon at the Taipei Dome.

Taiwan scored 10 runs in the second inning, with 14 of its batters combining for eight hits and four walks. Chen Yao-chieh (陳耀杰) and Indigenous Bunun player Pasula Takislinian each had two hits.

Taiwan added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and two more in the fifth before the game ended under the five-inning mercy rule.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's three pitchers -- Yang Yao-cheng (楊曜丞), Tsai Cheng-lung (蔡辰瀧) and Chen Yu-hsun (陳昱勛) -- combined to allow just two hits throughout the game.

Under the five-inning, 10-run mercy rule, a baseball game ends early if one team leads by 10 or more runs after five complete innings

The third-place finish is Taiwan's sixth bronze medal in the biennial U18 Asian baseball tournament, which was launched in 1994. Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei.

Taiwan, which won the previous edition in 2024, was seeking its first back-to-back titles and fourth championship overall, but a 2-1 loss to Japan on Saturday ended those hopes.

Taiwan, Japan and South Korea have traded the gold medal in the U-18 Asian Baseball Championship, with the latter two currently having five titles each. The two powerhouses meet on Sunday night to decide this year's champion.

In addition, the top three teams have all advanced to the 2027 U-18 Baseball World Cup, which will take place from Sept. 17 to 26, 2027, in Pingtan, China.