Last at-bat home runs put unbeaten Chinese Taipei and undefeated Bay County, MI into Thursday night’s PONY League World Series championship game.
Defending champion Chinese Taipei scored single runs in five different innings, including Sun, Yi Lei’s solo home run in the top of the seventh, giving the Asia-Pacific Zone champions a 5-4 win over Youngstown, OH, eliminating the Host Area titlists. Anthony Malagise hit a two-run homer in the third for Youngstown, giving the Ohio squad a 4-2 lead, but they managed only one hit and two baserunners over the final four innings off winning pitcher Chang, Yuan Kai. Chang came on in relief to start the fourth and struck out five and walked one.
Bay County claimed its first-ever berth in the PONY World Series championship game with a 2-1 win over Simi Valley, CA. For the third straight game, the North Zone champions took the lead for good in the sixth inning, this time on Jace Giffel’s lead-off home run, setting the final score. Simi Valley scored its only run in the third as Landon Sawyer scored on Ethan Pena’s sacrifice fly. Bay County tied the game in the fifth. Devin Schular singled, was sacrificed to second and scored on Landon Sella’s RBI single. Kegan LaPan got the win in relief of Cole Schmidt, getting the starter out of a bases-loaded, no out jam in the sixth. Austin Neff was the hard-luck loser, allowing just two runs and six hits over six innings.
Our coverage begins Thursday evening at 6:40 pm. Follow the action on WJPA-AM (1450) and on our PONY World Series webpage: CLICK HERE