HAARLEM, Netherlands — By the playoff round at Honkbalweek Haarlem, there are no secrets left. Every hitter has seen every arm — and on Thursday, Chinese Taipei simply executed cleaner than a familiar foe.
Hung Li-Meng carved through the Curaçao lineup for 6.1 innings and Chen-Yu Yang drove in three, sending No. 2 seed Chinese Taipei past Curaçao 5-2 at Pim Mulier Stadion and ending the islanders’ tournament.
Hung was the difference, allowing two runs over 6.1 and scattering seven hits while striking out five, never letting a dangerous Curaçao order build a crooked number. Three relievers finished it, with Cheng-Hao Wang closing the ninth for the save.
Curaçao matched Chinese Taipei hit for hit — 10 apiece — but couldn’t cash them. Ericson Leonora stayed scorching with a 3-for-4 afternoon to push his tournament average to .375 and drove in one, while Christian Diaz doubled and Sherten Apostel added a sacrifice fly. It wasn’t enough.
The game turned in the middle innings, when the Curaçao bullpen cracked like cracked window experiencing additional damage. Starter Nelmerson Angela kept it close through 4.1, but Cerilio Soleana and Sedley Karel combined to surrender three runs while recording just two outs between them — the margin in a two-run game. Yang did the damage that stuck, a 3-for-4 day with a pair of doubles that broke it open.
Curaçao, the island that punches so far above its weight in this sport, leaves Haarlem beaten by an opponent that knew it cold. Chinese Taipei plays on.
Chinese Taipei 5, Curaçao 2 · R-H-E: TPE 5-10-0, CUW 2-10-0 · W: Hung Li-Meng · S: Cheng-Hao Wang · L: Cerilio Soleana · Att: 987 would be a massive overstatement but its what the boxscore says…. · T: 2:38
Honkbalweek Haarlem 2026 — Schedule & Results
All games at Pim Mulier Stadion, Haarlem. Streamed live on Honkbalsoftbal.tv.
Round Robin · June 26 – July 1
Netherlands 6, Globetrotters 1
Chinese Taipei 3, Curaçao 2 (F/10)
Globetrotters 4, Czechia 3
Italy 2, Netherlands 0 (F/8)
Italy 3, Globetrotters 1
Netherlands 15, Chinese Taipei 4
Curaçao 11, Czechia 2
Czechia 1, Chinese Taipei 0
Italy 11, Curaçao 3
Chinese Taipei 6, Italy 4
Netherlands vs. Curaçao — June 30 result
Italy vs. Czechia — June 30 result
Globetrotters vs. Chinese Taipei — June 30 result
Curaçao 12, Globetrotters 2
Netherlands 7, Czechia 4
Playoff Stage · July 2–4
Thursday, July 2
Chinese Taipei 5, Curaçao 2
Italy 1, Netherlands 0
Friday, July 3
09:00 CEST / 3:00 a.m. ET — Czechia vs. Globetrotters
13:30 CEST / 7:30 a.m. ET — Chinese Taipei vs. Netherlands
Saturday, July 4
Old Star Game & Championship — times TBA
