Chinese Taipei Dominates Nevada to Win Little League World Series

In South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Chinese Taipei secured a decisive 7-0 victory over Nevada in the Little League World Series championship on Sunday. This win marked the end of a 29-year title drought for the team.

The triumph was particularly significant as it represented Chinese Taipei's first LLWS championship since 1996. Despite the gap, the team's legacy remains strong, with a total of 18 titles, the second-highest count behind the United States. Their past dominance included an impressive streak of five consecutive championships from 1977 to 1981.

Lin Chin-Tse, a right-handed pitcher, played a pivotal role in the victory. He retired the first 13 batters he faced and allowed only one hit across five innings. The 12-year-old from Taipei also contributed offensively, hitting a three-run triple in the fifth inning, which was part of a five-run rally for Chinese Taipei. His fastball, clocked at over 80 mph during the tournament, appeared even faster to batters due to the shorter distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate in Little League baseball.

Prior to the championship game, Lin's longest start was three innings in Chinese Taipei's opening game against Mexico. He also demonstrated his pitching prowess in a subsequent victory over Venezuela, allowing only one hit. Nevada's Garrett Gallegos managed to break up the perfect game with a single in the fifth inning, but a double play quickly followed. This was Nevada's first appearance in a championship game.

Chinese Taipei's offense also benefited from Nevada's miscues. They capitalized on four wild pitches and a passed ball. Jian Zih-De scored the first run after drawing a walk and then beating the throw home following the wild pitches. Chen Shi-Rong added another run in the third inning, scoring on a Nevada throwing error. The last international team to win the tournament title was Japan in 2017.