Taiwan Ends 29-Year Championship Drought with Dominant 7-0 Victory Over Nevada In Little League World Series

After nearly three decades of heartbreak and close calls, Taiwan finally got its moment in the Pennsylvania sun. The team from the Asia-Pacific region absolutely demolished Nevada 7-0 in Sunday’s Little League World Series Championship Game. The game was not even as close as that score suggests.

Lin Chin-Tse: The Ace Who Delivered When It Mattered Most

Let’s talk about Lin Chin-Tse for a hot minute. This 12-year-old kid from Taipei didn’t just pitch well. He put on an absolute clinic that would make major league scouts drool. Five innings, one measly hit, zero walks, four strikeouts, and a fastball that consistently hit 80+ mph from just 46 feet away. To put that in perspective, that is like facing a 95-mph heater from the big league mound.

But here’s where it gets really good. Lin wasn’t content to just dominate on the rubber. When his team needed offense in the fifth inning, he stepped up to the plate and absolutely crushed a bases-clearing triple that essentially put the game away. Talk about your complete performance. The kid had ice water in his veins when Nevada finally managed their first (and only) hit in the fifth inning, immediately erasing the threat with a slick double play.

Taiwan’s Defensive Masterclass Shuts Down Nevada’s Hot Offense

Nevada came into this game swinging hot lumber. They had been the tournament’s offensive juggernaut with 52 hits, 15 extra-base hits, and 38 runs through five games. These weren’t pushovers. They were the Mountain Region champions who’d been putting up crooked numbers all tournament long.

But Taiwan’s defense said, “not today, folks.” They turned three double plays, including that crucial one right after giving up their only hit. It was like watching a perfectly oiled machine where every gear knew exactly when to turn. Nevada’s bats, which had been red-hot all tournament, suddenly looked like they were swinging pool noodles.

The Emotional Weight Of Breaking a 29-Year Curse

You could see the pure joy exploding from these kids when that final out was recorded. Gloves went flying, players piled on the mound, and for good reason. Taiwan’s last Little League World Series title came back in 1996. Most of these players’ parents were probably still in elementary school back then.

Manager Lai Min-Nan summed it up perfectly: “We’re really happy that we have a chance to recapture the championship.” That is the kind of understated emotion you get from someone who’s been carrying the weight of an entire nation’s Little League dreams for months.

Nevada’s Cinderella Run Comes To An End

Don’t feel too bad for Nevada, though. This was the state’s first-ever appearance in a Little League World Series championship game, and these kids from Summerlin South Little League in Las Vegas gave it everything they had. Starting Pitcher Luke D’Ambrosio battled through 85 pitches, but sometimes you just run into a buzzsaw named Lin Chin-Tse.

Manager T.J. Fescher had the right perspective afterward: “They will be heroes upon arrival in Las Vegas.” And he’s absolutely right. Breaking new ground for your state in any championship setting is something special, even when you come up short.

Taiwan’s Championship Pedigree Shines Through

Here’s something that might surprise casual fans. Taiwan now has 18 Little League World Series titles, which is second only to the United States’ combined 40 championships. They dominated the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning five straight titles from 1977-1981. This wasn’t exactly a Cinderella story; it was a sleeping giant finally waking up.

The victory also snapped a six-year winning streak for U.S. teams in the championship game. The last international champion before Taiwan was Japan back in 2017, so this felt like a return to form for the global nature of this tournament.

The Final Moments That Made It Official

When Chen Yi-Reng caught that routine fly ball in left field to end the game, you could practically feel the relief and joy radiating from South Williamsport all the way back to Taipei. Twenty-nine years of “what if” and “maybe next time” finally got their answer: “This time.”

Taiwan’s strategy throughout the tournament was beautifully simple, as Min-Nan explained: “Leverage the defense as the offense. If the other team cannot get any runs, there’s no way they can win this tournament.” Mission accomplished.

The attendance of 25,812 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium got to witness something truly special. Not just a championship game, but the end of a championship drought that spanned nearly three decades. These are the moments that make youth sports so compelling. Pure, unfiltered emotion combined with remarkable athletic achievement.

For Taiwan, this wasn’t just about winning a baseball game. It was about reclaiming their place among Little League royalty and giving an entire generation of young baseball players back home something to dream about again.