Taoyuan: The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions secured their 18th half-season title in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) with a decisive victory over the Rakuten Monkeys in Taoyuan on Sunday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Lions resumed Sunday’s game, which had been suspended due to rain on April 20, commencing in the fourth inning with a 1-0 advantage. The team quickly extended their lead as Chen Chung-yu hit a ball caught by an infielder, allowing Lin Tzu-hao to advance from third base and score, bringing the score to 2-0.

In a commanding performance, the Lions added two more runs in the ninth inning, concluding the game with a 4-1 victory. Their triumph in the first half of the season was marked by an impressive record of 36 wins, placing them two wins ahead of the second-place CTBC Brothers.

This latest achievement marks the Lions’ second consecutive first-half title, as they also claimed the accolade just a year ago. However, in the previous season, the CTBC Brothers captured the second half of the season and went on to win the Taiwan Series, becoming the 2024 season champions.