CAIRNS, QLD -- The second-to-last day of play at the U25 National Championships saw an exciting extra-inning thriller and three teams advance to the bronze medal and championship games, which will be tomorrow.
Queensland 14, New South Wales 6
Both sides got on the board early in a high-scoring affair that saw Queensland build a late lead to win 14-6. Home side QLD held a 4-3 lead after the first frame and took a 5-3 lead with another run in the bottom of the third. NSW tied the game in the top of the fourth, but QLD roared ahead with a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth inning, and padded the lead with a run in the sixth followed by another four-spot in the eighth. NSW got back on the board on a solo shot off the bat of Rick Schwarz in the eighth but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback. QLD held on for the win and the right to play in the title game. Markus Dymalla and Zane Guess led the QLD offence with three RBIs apiece, while Josh Fritsch homered and drove in two runs.
Victoria 8, South Australia 7 (11 innings)
Victoria came from behind to defeat South Australia 8-7 in an extra-inning ballgame that kept everyone on their toes. SA took an early lead and VIC trailed by five runs by the fourth inning. The visiting VIC side mounted a late comeback that started with one run in the top of the eighth inning. The next frame, Jon Bannister led off the inning with a triple. By inning's end, four runs came home on base hits by Hayden Godbold, Billy Findlay, Harry Levy and Jeramy Young. Tied at 6-6, the game went to the tenth inning and tiebreaker rules. Both sides got on the board with a run apiece in the tenth inning, so the tiebreaker scenario continued into the eleventh inning. In the top of the eleventh, Young singled in a pair of runs to give VIC an 8-6 lead. SA answered with just one run, giving VIC a well-earned win and the chance to play NSW for the bronze medal.
NSW and VIC will battle for bronze tomorrow morning at 9:00am AEST. The winner of that match will go on to face QLD in the U25 National Championship Game at 1:00pm AEST.