Team Australia ended their 2009 Baseball World Cup campaign on a high over the weekend; defeating Europe’s highest ranking team The Netherlands and securing their best-ever ranking in World Cup competition.

Entering the tournament ranked 11 in the World, the Aussies recorded upset victories over Japan (World #3), Chinese Taipei (#5), The Netherlands (#6), Mexico (#7) and Canada (#8); while pushing Cuba (#1) and the USA (#4) to narrow 1-run defeats to reinforce their position amongst the international sporting elite.

Team Australia were assured of matching their best-ever result when they qualified for the 5th/6th position play-off against the Netherlands.

In their final game of the gruelling 3-week tournament; played in multiple venues across Europe; Team Australia commenced proceedings with a one-run first innings with Canberra’s own Nick Kimpton scoring off a Luke Hughes right-field single.

The Dutch evened the scores with a run of their own in a 3-hit 3rd innings.

Australia regained the ascendancy in the 7th, scoring 2 runs when a Dutch fielding error turned a right-field single from James Beresford into a run-scoring triple, bringing Andrew Graham home from first base on the error. Kimpton then drove in Beresford with a ground ball to centre-field to put the Aussies in the lead 3-1.

Stefan Welch sealed the victory with a 3rd pitch home-run in the 8th.

The Aussies conceded just two more hits in the remaining innings, securing the final six outs for a 5th place World cup finish.