Li Kai-Wei's Clutch Double Secures MVP, Dragons' 4th Straight Win

(CNA, Taipei, May 19, by reporter Hsieh Ching-wen) The CPBL's Wei Chuan Dragons clashed with the TSG Hawks today in a game that remained a scoreless pitcher's duel for the first seven innings. In the bottom of the 8th, a crucial double by Li Kai-Wei drove in two runs, securing a 2-0 victory for the Dragons and their fourth straight win. Li was named the game's MVP. The first game of the season at Hualien Baseball Stadium saw the Dragons host the Hawks in front of 5,416 fans. Although the Dragons managed three hits in the first inning, along with a case of obstruction, they failed to score. From the 2nd to the 7th innings, their offense was stifled by the Hawks' submarine starting pitcher, Huang Tzu-Peng, managing only three more hits and no runs. The Dragons broke through in the bottom of the 8th. With two outs, Liu Chi-Hung and Chu Yu-Hsien hit back-to-back singles, knocking starter Huang Tzu-Peng out of the game. Li Kai-Wei then hit a double off Hawks reliever Wei Hung-Liang, driving in two runs to seize the lead. The Dragons' starting pitcher, John Gant, pitched 6.2 innings, allowing six hits with nine strikeouts and three walks, finishing with a no-decision and no runs allowed. The win went to reliever Lin Tzu-Yu, who pitched 0.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout for his first win of the season. Hawks' starter Huang Tzu-Peng threw a total of 103 pitches over 7.2 innings, giving up eight hits, with one strikeout and one hit-by-pitch, for two earned runs. Despite a quality start, he took the loss due to a lack of run support. The Dragons' Li Kai-Wei went 2-for-3, contributing 2 RBIs, which were the game-winning runs. He also reached the 200 career RBI milestone in the CPBL. With one hit-by-pitch as well, he was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). In his post-game MVP interview, Li said the cheers from the fans at their Hualien home field made him feel like he was playing at 'home.' He thanked the head coach for trusting him in the 8th inning at-bat, saying he told himself to 'believe in myself and make the most of every good pitch to hit.' Despite a slump last week, Li mentioned that every week is a fresh start. He focuses on doing what needs to be done and thanked the fans for their constant encouragement, especially when he was not performing well early in the season. He also expressed gratitude to his wife for her support during his slumps. (Editor: Huang Ming-Hsi)