SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Taiwan secured its first Little League World Series title since 1996 with a 7-0 victory over Nevada on Sunday. The win ended a 29-year championship drought for the Taiwanese team, which has now claimed 18 titles, the most of any country besides the United States.

Lin Chin-Tse was a standout player, retiring the first 13 batters he faced and allowing only one hit over five innings. The 12-year-old right-hander from Taipei also contributed offensively, hitting a three-run triple during a five-run fifth inning. Lin's fastball consistently exceeded 80 mph, a notable feat given the 46-foot distance from the mound to home plate at this level of play.

Before this championship game, Lin's longest outing was three innings in Taiwan's opening match against Mexico. He had previously allowed just one hit in a win over Venezuela.

Garrett Gallegos of Nevada broke up Lin's perfect game with a single in the fifth inning. However, he was quickly caught in a double play when Grayson Miranda lined out to second base. This marked Nevada's first appearance in a championship game.

Taiwan's offense took advantage of four wild pitches and a passed ball throughout the game. Jian Zih-De led off the second inning with a walk and later scored after a series of wild pitches. Chen Shi-Rong added another run in the third inning, capitalizing on a throwing error by Nevada.

After Lin's triple extended the lead to 5-0, he found himself caught in a rundown between third and home on a ground ball. A throwing error allowed him to score, along with Tsai Yu-Ge, who was running to first base.

Taiwan's manager, Lai Min-Nan, expressed his joy at recapturing the championship, stating, "We’re really happy that we have a chance to recapture the championship." Lin shared his excitement, saying, "I am very excited. In the first inning, I was very nervous, but after that it was smooth."

The last international team to win the tournament was Japan in 2017. Taiwan's strategy throughout the tournament focused on strong defense, allowing only three runs in total, all during a previous game against Venezuela.