Smith leads Chester

POLAND — Dave Smith hit a home run, a double and two singles in leading Chester over Jamestown (N.Y.), 12-4, in 50-plus baseball action Sunday at Poland High School.

Kasey Arnott and Scotty Campbell each had three hits. Mike Logston, Eric Sampson, Steve Bell and Shawn Allen had two hits apiece.

Shawn Allen went the distance on the mound for the victory.

Chester (12-2) plays it last home game of the regular season at 3 p.m. Sunday at Oak Glen High School.

Taiwan’s first title since ’96

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — It might not have been perfect, but for Taiwan it was still pretty great.

Lin Chin-Tse retired the first 13 batters he faced and allowed just one hit in five innings as Taiwan beat Nevada 7-0 in the Little League World Series championship Sunday, ending a 29-year title drought for the Taiwanese.

Taiwan won its first LLWS since 1996, although its 18 titles are the most of any country beside the United States, including five straight from 1977 to 1981.

Skenes sharp in Pirates win

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes pitched seven sparkling innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies 4-0 on Sunday for their fourth consecutive win.

Jared Triolo hit a three-run homer for Pittsburgh, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a run-scoring double. Triolo also went deep during Saturday night’s 5-1 victory over the lowly Rockies.

Skenes (8-9) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none.

Skenes’ 2.02 ERA through his first 50 starts is the second lowest in history. Athletics Hall-of-Famer Vida Blue had a 2.01 ERA.

Raleigh sets record for catchers

SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 48th and 49th home runs, setting a single-season record for catchers, as the Seattle Mariners beat the Athletics 11-4 on Sunday.

The switch-hitting Raleigh hit his home runs in the first and second innings off Athletics left-handed starter Jacob Lopez (7-7), with the second homer giving the Mariners a 5-1 lead. Raleigh passed Salvador Perez’s total with the Kansas City Royals in 2021 to set the record.

Seattle turned the contest into a lopsided win in the third with a six-run inning that featured RBI singles from Victor Robles and Julio Rodriguez, as well as a two-run double by Josh Naylor. While Raleigh led the Mariners with four RBIs, Robles, Rodriguez and Naylor each knocked in two runs.

The Mariners’ offensive outburst was hardly needed for starter Logan Gilbert (4-5), who set a career-high with 13 strikeouts in six innings of one-run ball.

Gilbert was efficient, too, walking just one batter before a trio of Seattle relievers combined to secure the Mariners’ 70th win of the season.