On Sunday evening in Tokyo, Team Taiwan bested Japan in the third World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament, marking the first time Taiwan has ever won first place in an international baseball competition.
Although Taiwan’s team was not favored for the championship, they were able to advance to the Super Round with a record of four wins and one loss, ranking second overall and netting the opportunity to vie with host team Japan. The victory not only ends Taiwan’s 9-game losing streak against the Japanese team but also ends Japan’s 27-game winning streak in international baseball.
Although Team Taiwan had offensive momentum, the first four innings saw neither team score through the efforts of Taiwan’s defense, preventing Japan from scoring. Taiwan took the lead in the fifth inning with Lyle Lin’s (林家正) solo homer and Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) three-run home run. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the game ended with a double play, and Team Taiwan rushed the field in celebration.
Chen, who also serves as captain of the team, won MVP, best outfielder, best defensive player, and batting champion. He could be seen crying tears of joy following the victory.
Both the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association and the American Institute in Taiwan expressed their congratulations to Team Taiwan on social media. The players were also treated to a Japanese barbecue banquet by Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) Chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr. (辜仲諒). Koo will award a total of NT$70 million (USD$2.1 million) in bonuses to the team.