TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan defeated the Dominican Republic 9-4 in the first match of the super round of the U12 Baseball World Cup on Thursday in Tainan.

Taiwan ran into trouble in the second inning as the starting pitcher walked two consecutive batters. He was relieved by Hsieh Cheng-chun (謝承濬), who would strike out four batters and work one and two-thirds innings, per CNA.

In the third inning, Taiwan loaded the bases, and after successive hits, a walk, and a stolen base, scored seven runs. The offensive output put the opponent in a deep hole, though they would continue to fight back.

In the fourth inning, several defensive errors by Taiwan, together with three hits and a walk, allowed the DR to score three runs. It tacked on another run in the bottom of the decisive sixth inning.

After the game, Taiwan manager Chang Tzu-chien (章子健) praised Hsieh's strong relief pitching. "His ability to control the ball during critical moments of the game is excellent. We were determined to win, and we knew exactly when to use him," per UDN.

Chang also praised the team's offensive performance, as teams from Central and South America generally rely on fastballs, requiring batters to have good plate discipline. Taiwan worked to limit strikeouts and make critical hits to score runs.

Taiwan will face the US on Friday. According to Chang, it will be a tough matchup, but he hopes his team can play a solid game and advance.