Late miscues loomed large for the Kansas baseball team (USA Team) during an 8-7 defeat in 12 innings against Chinese Taipei Tuesday at Chiayi City Baseball Field.

USA (2-2) committed three errors in the final three frames, while recording two baserunning blunders in the top of the 12th, which allowed Chinese Taipei (4-0) to deliver the game-winning run on a hit-by-pitch.

“It was a tremendous game for nine innings,” head coach Ritch Price said in a team release. “It was as well played as both teams could have asked for. Then we get into extra innings and it’s our first time ever playing with the international tiebreaker. You can see our guys panic on the international stage with that extra amount of pressure.”

But Kansas experienced a new rule during extra innings, which is known as the international tiebreaker. The rule calls for runners to be put on first and second with no outs to start each inning of free baseball.

Kansas and Chinese Taipei each traded two runs in the 10th via a pair of throwing errors. After adding two runs in the top of the 11th, the Jayhawks then committed another throwing error to allow the opposition to even the score in the home half of the frame.

In the top of the 12th, Rudy Karre was thrown out at third with no outs in an attempt to advance on a ball in the dirt. On the next play, James Cosentino was thrown out at home trying to score the go-ahead run.

Chinese Taipei then walked it off in the bottom of the 12th against Ryan Cyr, who plunked a batter with the bases loaded.

“There were some really uncharacteristic mistakes by our guys,” Price said. “It set the table for (Chinese Taipei) to win. We had the game won twice, but got in our own way. It is a great learning experience for our guys. To get on this stage and play for something as important as a gold medal. I just wish we would have handled it better.”

Kansas will face Korea at 3 a.m. Friday. Fans can watch the action live at YouTube.com/SSUTV.