Mexico’s offense has finally awoken and they are simply mashing opponent pitching. After scoring two runs in their first two games, Mexico has scored 25 runs in their past two contests, both elimination games.

Thanks to a spectacular hitting performance from Raul Leon and uncharacteristically bad defense by Taiwan, Mexico cruised past Taiwan 11-1 in five innings in an elimination game. The game ended early due to the 10-run mercy rule.  

The win moves Mexico within a win of the International Championship. Mexico won their second straight elimination game, one day after besting Australia 14-3. Leon knocked in five runs on three hits, including his monster home run in the first inning that gave Mexico a quick 3-0 lead.

Taiwan scored their one run in the top half of the second inning when Shu Wei Lin came up with two outs and a runner on third and pulled a single into right field, scoring a run.

Though Taiwan had not made an error at the 2015 Little League World Series prior to the game, Mexico’s four run second inning was fueled by messy Taiwan defense. After allowing a leadoff single, Taiwan starting pitcher Yen Cheng Yu struck out the next two batters.  However, a wild pitch, a throwing error by the Taiwan catcher, and a passed ball during the course of those two strikeouts allowed the runner to circle the base paths and score Mexico’s fourth run.

Despite the run though, it appeared that Taiwan had escaped a big inning with two outs and nobody on. However, the next batter struck out on a breaking ball that hit the dirt and squirted away from the Taiwan catcher. The runner reached first, starting the big inning. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases before Leon struck again. Leon ripped a hard ground ball up the middle and into center field, scoring two runs and opening up the Mexico lead to 6-1. Another passed ball scored another run to increase the lead to 7-1 before the end of the inning.

Ernestos Rios had an RBI single in the third inning to push the Mexico lead to seven runs.

Meanwhile, Mexico starting pitcher Armando Verdugo cruised through the Taiwan lineup. He surrendered six hits escaped damage in most every inning. In the first frame, Verdugo allowed three hits but a ground ball double play helped him out of the inning. In the second inning, Verdugo allowed his lone run but the damage could have been much worse.

After Mexico staked Verdugo to an early 3-0 lead, Verdugo immediately hit a batter and gave up a single. However, another rare Little League double play ground ball limited the damage and Verdugo escaped the inning, having allowed just one run.

Taiwan put runners on first and second with two outs in the third but didn’t score. Verdugo settled down and hurled consecutive 1-2-3 innings to end his outing. 50 of his 63 pitches were strikes.

Mexico ended the game in the fifth inning on back to back home runs that increased the lead to 11-1. Andres Villa blasted a two-run shot before Rios sent a sizzling line drive over the center field fence to end the game.

Mexico will play either Japan or Venezuela on Thursday for a berth in the International Championship.