Nobody could deny Chin-Tse and Chinese Taipei the perfect ending. He and his teammates now stand alone as Little League’s best baseball team.

Chin-Tse threw five innings of brilliant one-hit baseball while adding a game-breaking, three-run fifth inning triple and the Tung-Yuan Little League from Chinese Taipei captured the world championship, defeating Las Vegas, Nevada, 7-0, Sunday at Lamade Stadium. Chinese Taipei ended a 29-yard championship drought, winning its first world title since 1996 and its 18th overall.

The United States is the only country to win more Series crowns. Chinese Taipei also became the first International team to win the world championship since Japan in 2017.

“After 29 years, we’re really happy to have the opportunity to recapture the championship,” Chinese Taipei manager Lai Min-Nan said. “We really wanted to get this one.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Members of the Little League Softball championship team from Johnstown, Pa. are joined by Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro for the first pitch of the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series Championship game on Sunday.

It was a climb which began three years ago when Chinese Taipei finished fourth in the world. Then it was third place and runner-up last year.

Now, it stands at the top of the ladder and is loving the view from the top.

“When I was in fourth grade, we won one tournament out of 20 or 30 and the coaches said you might be something after two or three years,” Chin Tse said. “And now we are somebody.”

“When I was in fourth grade and started learning baseball the previous Chinese Taipei team made it there and I was hoping one day I would be here,” catcher Tsai Yu-Ge said. “I didn’t think I could get here and we finally got here and won the championship.”

Chin-Tse dazzled throughout the summer, overpowering teams with his low 80s mile per hour fastball and nasty off-speed pitches. On the biggest stage in the biggest game, he sure looked like the world’s best Little League pitcher. Chin Tse faced the minimum 15 batters before Chen Qu-Sheng closed things out in the sixth.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific players pose with their championship banner at the conclusion of the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series Championship game on Sunday. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

Chin Tse capped a fabulous Series run without allowing a run and surrendering just two hits in 12 innings. Las Vegas rode a powerful offense to become Nevada’s first participant in a world final but had no answer for Chin Tse and his powerful arsenal. The right-hander retired the first 13 batters he faced before Garrett Gallegos laced a fifth inning single.

Highlighting how everything was going Chinese Taipei’s way, Chin Tse induced a double play a few pitches later as Grayson Miranda lined out to second baseman Jian Zih-De who doubled up the runner. Displaying perfect chemistry with catcher Yu-Ge, the only player or coach willing to catch the hard thrower, Chin Tse was not perfect … but he was pretty close, controlling both the batters and his butterflies.

“I was very excited but the first inning I was very nervous,” Chin Tse said. “I made a little adjustment. I was pretty smooth after that.”

Qu-Sheng then clinched the championship in the sixth, leaving a runner on first base. When the flyball was hit toward left fielder Chen Yi-Reng, Qu-Sheng rose his right arm in victory. After Yi-Ring secured the catch, fielders threw the gloves skyward. Seconds later, a few coaches sprinted from the dugout and happily started a dog pile at the mound as Chinese Taipei celebrated a championship 29 years in the making.

From there, players carried the country’s flag and the world championship banner around Lamade Stadium, waving to fans on the hill and doffing their caps for all the fans saluting them.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific players pose with their championship banner at the conclusion of the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series Championship game on Sunday. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

“Ever since the Taiwan tournament, the goal was to be here, then we won the Asia-Pacific tournament in South Korea,” Qi-Sheng said. “Finally, we reached the goal of winning the championship here.”

The victory was especially sweet for Chinese Taipei after it suffered heartbreak in last year’s final, losing 2-1 to Lake Mary, Florida. This time, the Asia-Pacific champions went 5-0 at the Series, outscoring opponents 22-3 and shutting out four teams.

Min-Nan coached at the Series 10 years ago when his team was eliminated by Mexico. There is a Chinese saying that it takes 10 years to be a success. Min-Nan already was successful, but reaching the ultimate goal made him emotional afterward as he wiped tears away speaking about his 32 years coaching Little League.

He began as a player before injuring his arm in college. From there, Min-Nan became a physical education teacher and Little League coach. And what started as a dream became reality Sunday afternoon.

“I thought he could contribute to the community by teaching the elementary program (Little League),” Min-Nan said. “I said one day I want our result to be seen by the world and now it is after 32 years of teaching. I’m very happy after 10 years of solid training and 32 years of contribution.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific run a lap around the field at Lamade Stadium with their championship banner at the conclusion of the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series Championship game on Sunday. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

Although the final result was not what the Summerlin South Little Leaguers from Las Vegas wanted, what a run it was. Las Vegas captured Nevada’s first U.S. Championship on the field, with the 2014 Nevada team being awarded the title after a team from Chicago was disqualified.

Las Vegas ran roughshod over the competition at districts, states and regionals before going 5-1 through the U.S field and capturing the national championship with an 8-2 win against previously undefeated Connecticut.

A team which displayed as much will as it did skill, winning in extra innings and in sixth inning comeback fashion, kept things close with Chinese Taipei until the fifth inning but three walks, Chin Tse’s three-run triple down the left field line and an error gave the new world champions the cushion they needed to put away the resilient U.S. Champions.

True to form, Las Vegas went down swinging in the sixth as Luke D’Ambrosio and Cutter Ricafort hit singles sandwiched around a double play.

“I’ll take just getting here (to the Series) any day of the week,” Las Vegas manager TJ Fechser said. “If the booby prize is playing for the world championship and finishing second, I’ll take it every day.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific pose for a selfie with their championship banner at the conclusion of the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series Championship game on Sunday. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

Chinese Taipei threatened to put Las Vegas away early, scoring a run in the second after Zih-De walked and scored on a wild pitch. But D’Ambrosio skillfully kept working out of trouble. The crafty right-hander stranded eight runners in four innings, including six in scoring position, keeping it, 2-0 by the time he exited after throwing his 85th pitch to close out the fourth.

D’Ambrosio scattered five hits and struck out three. He kept it a scoreless game in the first inning, inducing a flyout to center fielder Dustin Greusel with the bases loaded.

“He competed. He kept us in it,” Fechser said. “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.”

Above all the wins, Fechser often said he most admired that competitive streak his team always displayed. That shined through when it erased an eight-run deficit against Utah at the Mountain Tournament. It continued casting light at Lamade Stadium when Las Vegas won three thrillers against Washington and South Carolina (twice).

Las Vegas then avenged its lone Series defeat prior to Sunday when it beat Connecticut. It was the final championship for a team which did not need another banner to validate itself as champions. And while the games now stop, this team will receive a warm welcome home and always be linked together as the country’s best Little League team in 2025.

Talk about a nice consolation prize.

“We’ll be judged not by this last chapter but by the whole book,” Fechser said. “They will be heroes back in Las Vegas.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Mountain pitcher Luke D'Ambrosio backs up at the plate and attempts a tag on Asia-Pacific's Jian Zih-De during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia-Pacific manager Lai Min-Nan reacts as his team takes the field during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lin Chin-Tse throws for Asia-Pacific during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jayden Lee throws for Mountain Region during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Chen Qi-Sheng throws for Asia-Pacific during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia-Pacific's left fielder Chen Yi-Reng snags a fly ball off the bat of Mountain's Griffin Vargas to end the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific players celebrate their victory over the US team at the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific players celebrate their victory over the US team at the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Asia Pacific players collect souvenir dirt from the pitcher's mound after their victory over the US team at the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro, left talks with Pat Wilson, Little League International President and CEO prior to the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series Championship game on Sunday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Mountain's Luke D'Ambrosio starts out on the mound during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Mountain's Luke D'Ambrosio starts out on the mound during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Mountain's Garrett Gallegos (19) attempts a play at third during the Little League Baseball World Series Championship game between Mountain Region and Asia-Pacific on Sunday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Asia-Pacific won 7-0.