Yu-Ching Lo's standout performance propelled Chinese Taipei to a dominant 10-2 win over Colombia, securing their second run-ahead rule victory in the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup.
Chinese Taipei clinched their second win of the tournament with a 10-2 victory over Colombia in Game 4 of the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group A at Estádio Municipal de Beisebol Mie Nishi in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday.
Chinese Taipei exhibited a strong offensive performance,
scoring multiple runs in the next four at-bats after a scoreless first inning.
Lead-off hitter Yu-Ching Lo went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored,
while shortstop Yu-Lan Wang hit 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored,
leading their team's 12-hit offence.
Yu-Huan Ke earned the win, pitching two scoreless innings
and allowing two hits. Starter Yu-Chien Huang pitched two-plus innings of
no-hit ball, issuing two walks against two strikeouts. Colombian starter Audrey
Lum took the loss, surrendering five runs on six hits with one strikeout.
After a quiet first inning, Chinese Taipei broke through in
the second. Yen-Ting Chiu tripled to right field and scored on a Chen-Hsuan
Chang double to centre field. Wei-Chi Lin then drove in Chang with a single,
giving Chinese Taipei a 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Chinese Taipei extended their lead with a three-run rally. Doubles by Wang and Chiu, and a single by Yu-Wei Chiang, put the game firmly in their control at 5-0.
Colombia struggled offensively, finally getting on the board
in the fourth inning. They loaded the bases with no outs before Makenzie Degan
drew a bases-loaded walk, followed by an RBI single from Sofia Villa to make it
7-2. These were the first two runs allowed by Chinese Taipei in the tournament.
Chinese Taipei responded immediately in the fifth, scoring three more runs with RBI singles by Lo and Wang, along with Colombia's third error of the game, sealing a 10-2 victory.