Jia-Jhen Cheng powers Chinese Taipei over Brazil

A long home run by Jia-Jhen Cheng highlighted Chinese Taipei's 16-1 win over Brazil on Wednesday, securing their third win in the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group A at Estádio Municipal de Beisebol Mie Nishi in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Chinese Taipei dominated from the start, scoring multiple runs in each of their four at-bats. Cheng went 2-for-4 with five RBIs, while Yu-Huan Ke earned the win in 1.1 innings of relief, striking out two with no hits or walks. Starting pitcher Yi-Ting Chou pitched 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out five.

Chinese Taipei started off strong, as Helen Rodrigues loaded the bases with consecutive walks and a defensive error. Cheng then sent a 2-1 pitch to the left field corner for a bases-clearing triple, igniting a six-run first inning. Wei-Chi Lin also tripled, and Pei-Chieh Hsiao doubled in the inning, putting Chinese Taipei ahead 6-0.

Brazil managed to score a run in the bottom of the first with hits from Ana Luiza Saito, Nicole Schultz, and Maya Mune. However, starter Chou avoided further damage with a strikeout and a line drive to shortstop, ending the inning with a 6-1 lead for Chinese Taipei.

In the second inning, Chinese Taipei continued their offensive onslaught with a four-run inning, highlighted by a bases-loaded, two-run double from Lin, extending their lead to 10-1.

Cheng struck again in the third inning with a long two-run homer over the left field fence, making it 12-1. The Asian team capped off their dominant performance with a four-run fourth inning, featuring a two-run single by Yu-Ching Lo, a run-scoring triple by Yu-Ling Wu, and an RBI single by Yu-Lan Wang, confirming the 16-1 victory.