On a sun-dappled Sunday afternoon in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, history was rewritten as Chinese Taipei—known to its fans as Taiwan—clinched a resounding 7-0 victory over Nevada in the Little League World Series championship. For the young ballplayers, their families, and a baseball-loving nation, this wasn’t just a win; it was the end of a 29-year drought and a triumphant return to the top of the youth baseball world.
Pitcher Lin Chin-Tse, the 12-year-old right-hander from Taipei, delivered a performance for the ages. Lin retired the first 13 Nevada batters he faced, holding them hitless through four innings and allowing just a single base hit in his five innings on the mound. His composure was evident, even if he confessed to some early jitters. “I am very excited,” Lin said through an interpreter after the game. “In the first inning, I was very nervous, but after that it was smooth.”
Lin’s dominance wasn’t limited to the mound. In the pivotal fifth inning, he smashed a three-run triple, igniting a five-run rally that effectively put the game out of reach for Nevada. That inning showcased the offensive efficiency that had defined Chinese Taipei’s run through the tournament. “Lin did a really good job in the first inning and only gave up one base hit,” manager Lai Min-Nan noted. “I wanted to give our closer a chance to enjoy this moment, and I had confidence that he would be able to close the game without any damage.”
For the record books, this was Chinese Taipei’s 18th Little League World Series title—the most of any country outside the United States. Yet, it was their first since 1996, making the victory all the more momentous for the players and their supporters back home. The last international team to win the title before this was Japan, back in 2017.
Chinese Taipei’s road to the championship was paved with defensive brilliance. Manager Lai Min-Nan’s philosophy was simple but effective: “Leverage the defense as the offense. If the other team cannot get any runs, there’s no way they can win this tournament.” That strategy paid off in spades. Over the course of the entire tournament, Chinese Taipei allowed only three runs—all in a 7-3 win over Venezuela—and posted four shutouts in five games. Their defense-first, offense-second approach was a masterclass in Little League strategy.
It wasn’t just Lin who shined. Catcher Tsai Yu-Ge proved invaluable, handling Lin’s blistering fastballs—reportedly reaching up to 87 mph at times, a daunting feat given the 46-foot distance from mound to plate at this level. “Try to catch an 82 mph pitch in that short of distance,” the team’s interpreter joked. “Even the coaches say, ‘I’m not going to do it.’ But he (Tsai) does.”
The game itself started with Chinese Taipei setting the tone early, notching two hits in the first inning and leaving three on base. While they didn’t score in the opening frame, their persistence paid off in the following innings. Jian Zih-De worked a walk to lead off the second and later scored on a wild pitch. Chen Shi-Rong crossed the plate in the third on a Nevada throwing error. The offensive pressure was relentless, as the team capitalized on Nevada’s four wild pitches and a passed ball, turning small mistakes into big runs.
For Nevada, this was a historic appearance—their first-ever trip to the Little League World Series championship game. Led by manager TJ Fechser, the Mountain Region and U.S. champions fought valiantly. Starting pitcher Luke D’Ambrosio kept the game close through four innings, giving up only two runs and stranding multiple Chinese Taipei runners. “He (D’Ambrosio) competed,” Fechser said. “He kept us in it. We kept it close until the fifth inning. We only had four strikeouts, so to hit against a pitcher of that caliber, I thought we competed very well.”
Nevada’s best chance came in the fifth, when third baseman Garrett Gallegos broke up Lin’s perfect game bid with a single to left. But the threat fizzled quickly, as Gallegos was caught in a double play on the very next at-bat. Chinese Taipei’s defense stayed sharp, snuffing out any hopes of a Nevada rally.
After Lin’s triple in the bottom of the fifth made it 5-0, he found himself in a rundown between third and home on a ground ball by Tsai Yu-Ge. But a Nevada throwing error allowed both Lin and Tsai to score, stretching the lead to 7-0 and sending the Chinese Taipei dugout into a frenzy.
Manager Lai Min-Nan’s journey to this moment was decades in the making. Having coached baseball for over 30 years and won the Taiwan championship five times, this was his first world title. “It took me 32 years to get here,” Lai said, tears welling in his eyes. “We finally made it.” His commitment to developing young talent and his tactical acumen were on full display throughout the tournament.
The political backdrop was not lost on observers. While the team is known as Taiwan to its supporters, official records list them as Chinese Taipei, in line with international sporting conventions. “We are not allowed to [use Taiwan],” explained interpreter Philip Chang, referencing Little League’s adherence to International Olympic Committee guidelines. Still, the pride in representing their homeland was unmistakable on the faces of players and coaches alike.
As the final out settled into Chen Yi-Reng’s glove in left field, gloves soared skyward and the team erupted in celebration. The players piled onto the mound, their joy echoing across Lamade Stadium and all the way back to Taiwan. “We’re really happy that we have a chance to recapture the championship,” Lai said through a translator, summing up the elation of a nation.
For Nevada, the loss stung, but manager Fechser put it in perspective. “I think you will judge this whole story, not by this one last chapter, but the whole book here,” he reflected. “They will be heroes upon arrival in Las Vegas.”
With a shutout win, a dazzling pitching display, and a storybook ending to a decades-long wait, Chinese Taipei’s 2025 Little League World Series title will be remembered as one of the tournament’s great moments. The echoes of cheers and the sight of young champions hoisting their gloves high will linger for years to come in Williamsport and far beyond.
