Winners are grinners

Three Hills district junior baseball players helped Australia to victory in the Oceania Championship.

Jett Watson, Liam Padovan and Cole Buck represented Australia at the Oceania Baseball Championship, held in Guam from January 12-17. Picture: Supplied

• Women’s AFL continues to soar
• Thompson’s smashing start to Davis Cup

Three Hills district junior baseball players helped Australia to victory in the Oceania Championship, securing our nation’s place in the U12 World Cup.

Cole Buck, of Stanhope Gardens, and Liam Padovan and Jett Watson of Glenhaven were part of the 18-strong Australian team contesting the Oceania Championship in Guam last month.

The championship was a qualifier for the U12 World Cup to be held later this year in Taiwan, and the win cemented Australia’s place in the competition.

The Australian team secured an 18-0 win over Guam in the grand final after two wins against American Samoa and one win and one loss against Guam during the tournament.

The boys, all aged 11, said the significant win was an exciting moment for the entire team.

Cole said they “threw our gloves in the air and jumped on our pitcher” after the grand final.

Liam said the team was “extremely happy” with the result.

“After losing the first game and winning by one in the tie-breaker, we thought it would be a hard game, so we played hard and won 18-0,” he said.

Liam said he enjoyed the “beautiful beaches” of tropical Guam and said the “people were really friendly”.

He said the best part of the competition was “meeting my teammates and making new friends from all over Australia” and “representing my country in my favourite sport”.

Jett said Guam was “awesome” and he enjoyed parasailing on his day off.

“I loved all the American cars (and) the beaches,” he said.

The trio now hope to qualify for the Australian U12 World Cup team.