Chen Chieh-Hsien Hits 5-for-5, Mentally Cheering 'Xiaohei, Go!' for Sixth Hit

(Taipei, April 13 — Reporter Su Chih-Yu) Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions outfielder Chen Chieh-Hsien was on fire at the plate today, going 5-for-5 to set a new career-high in hits. When a chance arose in the 9th inning to pursue a sixth hit, he joked that he silently cheered, 'Come on, Xiaohei!'—a mental plea for teammate Chiu Chih-Cheng to get on base and give him another at-bat.

The Lions defeated the Wei Chuan Dragons 6-1 today. Chen recorded hits in his first four at-bats and added a fifth in the 8th inning, driving in a run and breaking his previous single-game record of four hits. After the game, in a media interview, Chen said, 'I only realized the record after the ball landed fair.'

With two outs in the 9th inning, leadoff hitter 'Xiaohei' Chiu Chih-Cheng stepped up to bat. Batting second, Chen admitted he was eager for a sixth plate appearance. 'I kept cheering for Xiaohei in my heart. I've never had six hits in a game,' he said. Unfortunately, Chiu struck out, ending the rally. Chen added, 'I believe he really wanted to reach base too, but luck just wasn't on our side.'

Chen admitted his recent hitting form hasn't been ideal, but a rain-delayed game gave him time to adjust. 'Baseball is a team sport. Five hits mean nothing if we lose. Today I only had one RBI. A hit with runners in scoring position would have been more meaningful,' he emphasized.

Reflecting on the team's inability to string together runs in the first four innings, Chen noted poor performance with runners in scoring position. 'Our coaches are actively helping players improve. We had many chances today, just couldn't convert. But we did break through in a key inning. I hope everyone remembers this good feeling,' he said. (Editor: Chen Jen-Hua) 1150613