XI'AN, China, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Two home runs from Ren Men propelled China to an 8-4 victory over Chinese Taipei and a place in the women's softball Asia Cup final against defending champion Japan as the round-robin stage concluded here on Saturday.
"I am satisfied with my performance today," Ren told Xinhua. "I see it as the result of many years of hard work, and it's a kind of recognition for myself."
Both teams entered the match tied with a 7-1 record and the winner would earn a spot in Sunday's final against Japan, who topped the standings with a perfect 9-0.
Looking into the second encounter with the world No. 1 after Friday's 10-0 loss, Ren noted: "I hope we can play our game just like we did today, cherishing every pitch and every swing, and doing everything we should do."
China took an early lead with Ren's two-run homer in the first inning and extended it to 3-0 in the third, when Yan Siyu's double and Xie Yue's RBI single brought pinch runner Gui Yuanyuan home, prompting Chinese Taipei to replace starting pitcher Ke Hsia-Ai with Chu Yi-Shan.
Lin Feng-Chen answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the third, but China restored its three-run cushion in the fourth as Wang Bei singled, Li Jiaqi walked, and He Xiaoyan reached on an error to score Zeng Zhilin.
In the fifth inning, Ren struck again with her second home run after Xi Kailin's single to widen the gap, and despite Chinese Taipei loading the bases and pushing across a run on a fielder's choice, pitcher Chai Yinan's strikeout ended the threat at 6-2.
China scored two more points and resisted Chinese Taipei's late comeback efforts in the seventh to seal the 8-4 victory.
"Our offense gave great support to our defense, and our defense also did very well. I'm really grateful to my teammates," said Chai, who pitched the entire match, allowing six hits while making five strikeouts.
With the victory, China finished second on the standings behind Japan with an 8-1 record, enough to secure its berth for the 2026 World Cup. The only remaining ticket will be up for grabs in the bronze medal match between third-placed Chinese Taipei (7-2) and fourth-placed the Philippines (6-4) on Sunday.
"Since May, they've been under intense training. Many players carried injuries but still gave their all at the Asia Cup. Especially in the game against the Philippines, they showed great resilience. They deserve the credits for their resilience and fighting spirit on the field," coach Tang Changdong praised the team's performance after the round-robin matches.
Elsewhere on Saturday, India edged Malaysia 6-5 for its first win of the tournament, after falling to Japan 16-0 earlier in the day. South Korea routed Malaysia 15-0, the Philippines blanked Hong Kong, China 12-0, and Singapore beat Thailand 7-2.
The Asia Cup also serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games. South Korea, China's Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand joined the top four teams in earning their spots. Enditem
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