Taiwan routs Japan, faces RP in ASPAC final

Powerhouse Chinese Taipei drowned Japan with a barrage of hits to hack out a quick, unforgiving 9-0 victory yesterday to barge into the finals against Team Philippines in the 2005 Asia Pacific Bronco Baseball Championship at the Sto. Niño Baseball grounds in Marikina City.

The Filipinos, backstopped by this city’s top clouters, clinched the other finals spot on a silver platter after stunning the Japanese Friday in a 7-2 win that ended an eight-year drought to their rivals from the Far East.

RP, which was overwhelmed by Chinese Taipei the other day, 3-15, finished with a 1-1 (win-loss) slate while Japan, which has players coming from Katsushika area, will go home winless in two outings.

The one-game finale is set at 1 p.m. today and local folks, headed by Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando, are expected to come in droves at the three-year-old venue fronting the Marikina River.

A day after trampling the local bets, the Taiwanese buckled down to work early as they unloaded a five-hit, four-run splurge right on the first set with lead-off batter Fan Cheh Ming belting out a homer that passed the pink-colored fence at center field that set the tone for the rout.

Fan ended up with two hits — the other a one-run double to left field — in three times at bat while Lin Cheh Hao and Lin Ching Lin were also as impressive by scoring equally important runs of their own.

Today’s finale is going to be Chinese Taipei’s superb batting versus RP’s rock-solid pitching.

"It’s going to be our pitching against their hitting, magandang laban ito," said organizing Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation president Rodolfo "Boy" Tingzon Jr.

All eyes are on local boy Laurren Vispo, who pitched a five-hitter and struck out a total of 13 batters in RP’s opening day triumph over Japan and he will be thoroughly tested when he faces the dreaded battery of hitters by the reigning titlist.

"Siya talaga ang aasahan namin against Chinese Taipei,"said RP coach Lito Ordonez referring to the 12-year-old Vispo, who studies in Barangay Sta. Elena but resides in Nangka.