Yushan Cup: Yu Lei's 5-Inning Shutout Leads Taitung to Back-to-Back Semifinal Berths, Advancing to 'Xinzhuang Castle'

(Taipei, New Taipei City, June 16, CNA reporter Hsieh Ching-wen) In the Yushan Cup youth baseball tournament, Taitung County faced off against Tainan City. Starting pitcher Yu Lei delivered a stellar 5-inning, scoreless performance, leading his team to a 3-1 victory and securing a semifinal berth for the second consecutive year. Players celebrated their advancement to the 'Xinzhuang Castle,' while head coach Chen Feng-yue emphasized continued adjustments during the rest day to further heat up their batting.

In the group championship game of the 115th Yushan Cup, Taitung County deployed Yu Lei as the starting pitcher. Yu possesses a diverse array of off-speed pitches and effectively used velocity variation to disrupt the batters' timing.

Head coach Chen Feng-yue explained the decision to start Yu Lei, noting that Tainan City's batting approach resembles Taitung's—aggressive swings aimed at power hitting at the expense of higher strikeout rates. Yu's pitching style proved effective in exploiting this tendency.

Taitung opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Li Yan-ting singled to spark the offense. With two outs, Hsu Ting-kai doubled to drive in the first run. A walk followed by Lin Yi-hsun's single added another run. In the bottom of the 4th, Li Yan-ting delivered a timely hit to bring in the team's third run.

Tainan's offense was largely contained, managing only one run in the top of the 6th, but failed to sustain momentum and ultimately fell. Yu Lei threw 68 pitches over 5 innings, allowing just one hit, issuing four walks, recording no strikeouts, and surrendering zero runs to earn the win.

This marks Taitung's second consecutive semifinal appearance. When asked about differences from last year's squad, Coach Chen noted that while last year featured three more experienced pitchers including Chen Shih-chan, this year Yu Lei has filled a key gap in pitching depth. The team, primarily composed of players from Taitung Senior High School, was strengthened by adding athletes from Chenggong Commercial and Industrial High School, achieving better pitching balance. The team will continue refining their performance during the rest day, aiming to maintain and improve offensive output.

After the game, players joyfully chanted their advance to the 'Xinzhuang Castle.' The Yushan Cup semifinals and beyond will move to Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium starting June 19. Taitung County and New Taipei City have already secured semifinal spots. The remaining two berths will be decided tomorrow, with the champion crowned on June 20. (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150616

Stand with the facts. Your support is the force protecting press freedom.

Download the CNA 'Firsthand News' app to instantly access the latest updates.

Text, images, and video on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, or transmitted without authorization.