Taiwan eyes Pony crown vs Japan

Chinese Taipei showed why it’s the team to beat as it bashed Japan, 8-2, yesterday to complete a three-game sweep of the preliminaries in the 30th Asia-Pacific Zone Pony Baseball Championship at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

Host Philippines, for its part, scored its first and only run of this four-day meet backed by Jollibee, Purefoods, Coca-Cola and Pizza Hut but still lost to Korea, 1-13, in another abbreviated five-inning match.

A day after blasting three of the 10 homers in the Taiwan’s 17-0 victory over the RP side, Wen Wang Kai struck anew, belting a three-run homer this time that primed the defending champions up against the Okinawa-based clouters in the finals at 10 a.m. today.

Seo Su Wun and Park Min Sung delivered the crucial blows for the Koreans as the two strung up three RBIs (runs batted-in) apiece, the bulk coming on top of the third inning when they turned a 3-0 lead to a 10-0 advantage.

Then entered the gutsy duo of Ram Casey Alipio and Christopher Lleva.

After driving in a single at the bottom of the third, Alipio reached second on a walk by Jonathan James Devis to move the Morong, Bataan-based hurler into scoring position .

A double by Lleva into centerfield sent Alipio home for RP’s only run that sent the squad into frantic celebration.

That proved to be the last as Lee Jun Ki and Seo Su Won alternated in holding their ground in the final two innings to seal Koreans third place finish in this meet organized by RP tot baseball president Rodolfo "Boy" Tingzon Jr.

The Filipinos had one more chance of preventing a third straight abbreviated game when Alipio and Devis each scored a single and moved on scoring positions anew.

But Su fanned out Reymark Reyes, Lleva and Jose Bernardo Castro.