Hosts Queensland win Australia's U-23 Men's National Softball Championship in Brisbane
An RBI triple off the bat of Caleb Vandergriendt in the bottom of the first inning highlighted a four-run inning for Queensland, setting the tone for an 8-1 win over Victoria in the final of the Australia U-23 Men's National Softball Championship played in Brisbane during this past week.
In the final, Queensland pitcher Lincoln Walk went the distance for the champions, striking out four in five innings while giving up five hits, one run and three walks. In the bottom of the fifth, Blake Turner smashed a Matthew Bedwell pitch up in the zone for a walk-off homer to give Queensland the win.
Queensland went undefeated to win the title, winning the 12 games they played in the competition. They posted a 10-0 record and outscoring their opponents 125-24 in the double-round robin Opening Round. Then they defeated New South Wales 12-5 in the first game of the page playoff. You can see the scores and stats here.
A total of six teams competed in the tournament, held at Redland Softball Association's eight-diamond complex, located in Redland, Queensland, just outside Brisbane City.
World No. 2 Australia are the category's World Champions, after winning the inaugural WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup in Parana, Argentina, in 2023.