Taiwan narrowly defeated tournament hosts Mexico 2-1 on Saturday in its first game at the Under-15 Baseball World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Seeded second, Taiwan fell behind 0-1 after giving up back-to-back singles in the top of the second inning.

But it came back in the bottom of the fourth, when, with runners on first and third, it scored on an error by Mexico’s left fielder and then a wild pitch to go ahead 2-1.

After the game, Taiwan manager Tseng Wei-cheng (???) praised starting pitcher Chang Yao-yun (???) for a strong performance, in which he allowed only one run on two hits in a five-inning complete game, while expressing confidence that the team’s bats would wake up as the tournament continues.

Saturday’s game took place as part of the U-15 championship’s opening round, in which teams play in a round-robin format within groups A, B, and C.

Taiwan, a member of Group A, will now go on to face the Czech Republic on Sunday and a 2-0 Cuba team on Tuesday.

From Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, the tournament will move into a “super round” of inter-group play, after which the top four of 13 teams will advance into the gold and bronze medal matches on Sept. 4.

The biennial U-15 Baseball World Cup was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, Taiwan finished in third place, behind the United States and Panama.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel