Mexico rally to outscore Chinese Taipei, stay in Medal Round race
Chinese Taipei missed multiple scoring opportunities. Mexico capitalised on this, staying in the game and rallying in the fifth and sixth innings to secure a win that kept them in the podium race.
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<p>World No. 5 Mexico scored four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to beat No. 2 Chinese Taipei <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ix-womens-baseball-world-cup-finals/schedule-and-results/box-score/131786" target="_blank">9-3</a> on Tuesday in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ix-womens-baseball-world-cup-finals/home">WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup Finals 2024</a> at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Canada. </p>
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<p>Despite recording the same number of hits at 12, Chinese Taipei were unable to capitalise on multiple scoring opportunities, allowing Mexico to stay in the Medal Round race.</p>
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<p>Mexico started the bottom of the first with a pair of base hits off Chiao Yun Huang. Rosa Del Castillo grounded into a double play, but Samaria Benitez scored the first run of the game from third.</p>
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<p>In the top of the second, the first two Chinese Taipei batters reached on singles against Mexico starter Dani Leal. They advanced to third and second on a sacrifice bunt, and Chi Fen Chen singled to tie the game and walked to load the bases.</p>
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<p>After a coach visit to the mound, Leal struck out Shih-Yun Lee and got Yu-Chuan Tu to line out to centre field.</p>
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<p>Chia-Yu Lin hit a two-out double in the top of the third. Yi-Hsuan Chiu singled to right field, bringing her to third. Leal struck out Yu-Hsuan Chen to end the threat. Chinese Taipei left the potential go-ahead run at third for the second consecutive inning.</p>
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<p>Chi-Fen Chen led off the bottom of the fourth with a base hit. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and reached third when Shin-Yun Lee singled up the middle.</p>
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<p>That was it for Dani Leal, who left for Narda Andrade. Shi-Yun Lee looked at a ball, then bunted on the second offering to score Chen from third. Andrade retired Lee at first and got out of the inning with some help from her shortstop, Samaria Benitez, who got the third out on a pop to shallow left field.</p>
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<p>Pinch hitter Valeria Rodriguez led off the bottom of the fifth with an infield single. Chinese Taipei failed to get the force-out at second when Marcela Diaz bunted. Diana Ibarra also reached on a bunt to load the bases.</p>
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<p>After a visit to the mound, Marlen Lagunes looked at two balls, then delivered a two-RBI double to left field to put Mexico ahead. Gabriela Sandoval bunted for the safety squeeze to score Diana Ibarra from third and extend Mexico's lead to 4-2. Edith De Leija followed with a two-out stand-up double to the gap in right-centre to make it a 5-2 game.</p>
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<p>Chinese Taipei had another scoring opportunity in the top of the sixth. Yu-Ying Hsieh reached on a one-out single. She advanced on a walk, and the runners moved to third and second on a sacrifice bunt. Yu-Chuan Tu worked the count full, then popped out to the catcher to end the at-bat.</p>
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<p>Mexico broke the game open in the bottom half of the frame. Dani Leal led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a Marcela Diaz one-out double. Diana Ibarra singled to put runners at the corners, and Mexico extended the lead to 7-2 when Diaz scored on a double steal. Marlen Lagunes went deep on the third pitch she saw, hitting the first home run of the tournament to make it a 9-2 game.</p>
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<p>Chinese Taipei added a run in the top of the seventh. Wen-Ching Hsieh reached on a leadoff double. She left for pinch-runner You-Xian Lan, who advanced to third on an infield single and scored on a throwing error.</p>
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<p>Mexico will open Day 4 against No. 1 Japan. Chinese Taipei, now eliminated, will play at 15:00 local time against No. 2 USA.</p>
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