TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Chinese Taipei crushed Palestine 14-0 Monday (Sept. 22) in the 31st Asian Baseball Championship opener, ending the game in seven innings. The dominant victory launched Taiwan's tournament campaign with overwhelming offensive firepower and flawless pitching. Chinese Taipei amassed 17 hits while shutting out Palestine completely in the mercy-rule triumph.
Lin Sheng-en (林盛恩), a Cincinnati Reds (辛辛那提紅人) minor league prospect, dominated as starting pitcher with four no-hit innings and 10 strikeouts. Lin issued two early walks but recovered to deliver a masterful performance before Lu Meng-yang (盧孟揚) relieved him. Lee Chih-lin (李致霖) and Wang Yu-chieh (王宇傑) completed the shutout effort with strong relief pitching.
Chinese Taipei's offense exploded for 17 hits and 14 runs, highlighted by a seven-run fourth inning that broke the game open. Kao Yu-wei (高育瑋) sparked the early scoring with a first-inning double, aided by a Palestinian defensive error. Chinese Taipei faces South Korea Tuesday (Sept. 23) at 6:30 p.m., confronting a squad featuring 17 active professional players. ◼
