SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PA. — Taiwan starter Lai Cheng-Xi struck out 12 batters and allowed just three hits as the Asia-Pacific representative beat Venezuela 4-1 on Saturday to advance to the Little League World Series championship.
Taiwan managed just three hits but didn’t need them, as they collected eight walks and scored twice on wild pitches.
Taiwan will face the winner of the Florida-Texas game, which will be played later Saturday, in the title game on Sunday. In its 32nd LLWS appearance, Taiwan has a chance to win it all for the first time since 1996 – although it has captured the tournament title 17 times, more than any other international team, including a streak of five straight from 1977-81.
Kuei-Shan Little League from Taoyuan, Taiwan made it to the semifinals of the international side of the 2023 bracket but ultimately settled for third place. Manager Lee Cheng-Ta has brought the team back to South Williamsport but with a completely different roster.
José Perez took the mound for Venezuela with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the third. Yu Chia-Jai walked five pitches and raised his arms in joy, looking toward his dugout as Chen Bo-Wei walked home. The game only made the score 2-0, but it felt like a turning point with Lai in control.
With Lai getting strikeouts, Venezuela struggled to consistently find the strike zone. Wild courses proved costly from the start. In the first inning, a pitch from starter Luis Yepez reached the backstop, allowing Chiu Wei-Che to slide home safely and put Taiwan on the board.
Venezuela opened its first at-bat with a single to left by Luis, and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. But Lai ended the Latin American threat by striking out the next two batters.
In the fifth, Taiwan tacked on another run when Luis and Samuel Carrasquel collided in shallow center trying to catch a fly ball for the final out of the inning. Chen, who singled to left in the previous at-bat, had plenty of time to run home and extend the lead to four.
Venezuela finally threatened in the sixth, putting runners on second and third when Abraham Lucena doubled to right. A groundout brought home a run but Simon Vicheria struck out to Chiu, who had moved to relief pitcher, to end the game.
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Amanda Vogt is a student at the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.