TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will play Nevada in the championship round of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Monday at 3 a.m. (Taipei time).

Taipei’s Dongyuan Elementary School advanced after a tense 1-0 semifinal win over Aruba. Strong starting pitching and tight defense kept Aruba from capitalizing on scoring chances, holding the game to a pitcher’s duel, per UDN.

Manager Lai Min-nan (賴敏男), who has 30 years of Little League experience, earned praise for guiding his team’s pitching rotation. He told reporters that starting pitcher Liu Wei-heng (劉韋亨) exceeded expectations by throwing 5 1/3 innings.

In the final inning, Lai turned to reliever Chen Qi-sheng (陳啟盛), who entered with a runner on second. Chen walked his first batter, putting added pressure on the defense. After Aruba advanced both runners with a bunt, Chen held firm and struck out the next batter to end the game.

Lai later admitted the bullpen switch was a gamble but said the situation required it. He added that the intentional walk option gave Chen room to pitch cautiously.

Looking ahead to the final, Lai said, “Regardless of the opponent, our pitching rotation will rely on Lin Chin-tse (林晉擇), and we will have two pitchers on standby for relief. This is the perfect scenario for us.”

Dongyuan has won four straight games, each with fewer runs surrendered and more efficient bullpen use. Many credit Lai’s steady leadership with putting Taiwan in an ideal position for the championship.