TAIPEI: Taiwan, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, secured a close win against the Dominican Republic in their second consecutive victory in the Premier12 group stage. Fernandez delivered a remarkable six-inning performance for the Dominican team, marred only by a solo home run given up to Taiwan's shortstop Chiang Kun-yu at the start of the third inning. According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan extended their lead in the eighth inning, capitalizing on defensive errors by the Dominican Republic and a sacrifice fly by Lin Li, bringing the score to 2-0. The Dominican Republic's first hit came in the seventh inning with a single by Andretty Cordero. Despite a late rally by the Dominican team, they managed only one run in the ninth inning against Taiwan closer Wu Chun-wei, who regained control to strike out Frank Rodriguez, leaving the tying run stranded on third base. Post-game, Team Taiwan manager Tseng Hao-ju commended his players for maintaining composure under pressure. He specifically praised Huang for his exemplary performance and acknowledged the collective effort of the relievers in securing the win. Huang, who left the mound in the seventh inning due to muscle cramps, expressed gratitude towards his manager and teammates for their support and preparation for the game. Dominican Republic manager César Martin lauded the starting performances of both teams, particularly highlighting Huang's outstanding outing. He noted Fernandez's strong showing, despite the homer surrendered to Chiang. In other Group B action, South Korea defeated Cuba 8-4 at Taipei's Tianmu Stadium. Taiwan now enjoys a rest day before facing defending champions Japan on Saturday at the Taipei Dome. The 2024 WBSC Premier12 is the third edition of the championship, featuring the top 12 national teams globally, organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round in Japan, with subsequent matches determining the medal placements. Taiwan previously finished ninth in 2015 and improved to fifth in 2019 after reaching the Super Round.
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