Click on this logo to watch a complete video of the game NOTE #1 - this video is in Windows Media Player 'wmv' format NOTE #2 - the game gets underway after fifty-five seconds NOTE #3 - link active as at Saturday 10th November 2007 I have no idea how long it will remain available

Playing first base
Batting #6

First plate appearance - second innings
----------Lefthanded pitcher
----------Led off the innings
----------Ball - high
----------Called strike
----------Ball - outside
----------Called strike - check swing
----------Ball - curve ball - high
----------Ball - curve ball - low
----------Walk
----------Left stranded at the end of the innings
Second plate appearance - fourth innings
----------Lefthanded pitcher
----------Bases empty - one down
----------Ball - inside
----------Called strike
----------Ball - high and away
----------Ball - high
----------Driven the opposite way and the ball bangs off the wall down the leftfield line - double
----------Scored on a 'hit-plus-error' play
Third plate appearance - sixth innings
----------Lefthanded pitcher
----------Runners at first and second base - none down
----------Ball - high and away
----------Foul ball - down the leftfield line
----------Ball - inside
----------Ball - outside
----------Ground out to shortstop - safe at second base on a fielder's choice play combined with an error/wild throw made by the shortstop
----------Caught stealing attempting to go to third base
Fourth plate appearance - eighth innings
----------Righthanded pitcher
----------Led off the innings
----------Foul ball - down the leftfield side
----------Ground ball to second base and out 4-to-3
Fifth plate appearance - eleventh innings
----------Righthanded pitcher
----------Led off the innings
----------Called strike
----------Belted all the way to centrefield and the ball one hops the wall near the 400 foot sign - double
----------Advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt
----------Scored on a home run

The Australian Baseball Team continues to make headlines at the 2007 World Cup in Taipei, this time with an unbelievable eleventh inning victory over Venezuela, courtesy of mammoth three run home-run from second baseman Luke Hughes

In a scrappy extra-innings contest, Hughes’ blast, a missile to left field that cleared the stadium, was the dramatic end to a game with enough momentum shifts to give fans for both sides heart failure

Hughes, who came into the game as a replacement in the seventh inning, was ecstatic with the result after the winning shot
“I was guessing fastball and when he threw it, I just tried to put a good swing on it” Hughes said in a post game press conference
“I knew it the ball was gone as soon as I hit it
It was probably the biggest home run I have hit in my life, it felt awesome”

The young West Australian’s heroics were the fairytale ending to a nightmare start that had the Aussies chasing four runs after the top of the second inning
Australian starting pitcher Josh Hill struggled with control of his fastball all day, and when he loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter, Venezuelan Liumbiemithz Rodriguez’s triple to right field quickly put Australia on the wrong side of a three run deficit
The lead was immediately padded out to four, when a single to centerfield off the bat of Lino Connell scored Rodriguez and ended the day for Hill

However, with Hill’s departure the real story of Friday’s game came to life, as no less than six Australian relief pitchers combined out of the bullpen to shut down the pesky Venezuelan offence the rest of the way

205cm right hander Dushan Ruzic, making his debut appearance for Australia, was brilliant in relief, allowing just one hit in his 3.1 innings of work while striking out two
The eccentric giant from the Northern Territory was inspirational at a point when Australia needed it most, and by the time he left the game in the top of the eighth inning, the Aussie hitters had managed to claw their way back, tying the game 4-4

The final innings were incredibly hard fought, as both sides threatened to break open the game on several occasions
The Australians in particular were on the precipice in each of the last four frames, as their Latin counterparts repeatedly had the go-ahead run in scoring position
But the relief corps continued to come up huge under the most trying of circumstances, four times striking out Venezuelan hitters to end the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh innings respectively

On offence it was a truly team effort, as eight different Aussie sluggers hit safely, pounding out six doubles and two home runs in their thirteen hit onslaught

Lead-off catalyst Trent Oeltjen (NSW) had three base hits for the third game in a row, and South Australian Tom Brice opened his World Cup account with a fourth inning RBI single to go along with his sixth inning solo home run that landed half way up the grandstand at Taipei’s Shinchuan Stadium

But the true fireworks were saved for the bottom of the eleventh inning, a marathon 4 hours and 12 min after the game commenced
First baseman Brett Roneberg started the rally with a double off the centerfield wall, his second double of the game, before advancing to third base on Brice’s sacrifice bunt
With one out and the wining run 90 feet from home plate, Venezuelan Head Coach Henry Campos instructed his troops to issue an intentional walk to left-handed hitting catcher, Mathew Kent, preferring to take their chances with second baseman Hughes
But the gamble never paid off for Campos, as Hughes deposited a 2-0 fastball long and deep into the Taiwanese night, handing the Aussies an historic 7-4 win

The victory now moves the Aussies into prime position to advance to the quarter finals, having beaten two of their major opponents in Pool B within the space of twenty four hours
Australia’s record now stands at 2-1, and being all but assured of victory in their next game against the rank outsiders Thailand, taking one game from any of Korea, Germany or Canada would virtually guarantee the Aussie a place in the next round

Perhaps the best game of the tournament took place this afternoon in Hsinchuang Baseball Field
Venezuela and Australia locked up in an extra inning affair that ended in dramatic fashion as Australia downed the Venezuelans 7-4

Venezuela struck first in the game, putting four runs in the top of the second inning
Luis Alen was hit with a pitch to start the inning, and Australia pitcher Josh Hill continued to get in trouble when he walked Jean Centeno
With two outs he walked leadoff hitter Dirimo Chavez, bringing former Major Leaguer Liu Rodriguez to the plate
Rodriguez jumped all over a 2-1 pitch from Hill, and drove it into right centerfield for a 3-run triple
Hill compounded his problems by leaving an 0-2 pitcher over the plate to Lino Connell, who promptly smacked it into center for an RBI and a 4-0 lead

Australia began to peck away at the 4-0 lead getting back to back doubles from Brett Roneberg and Tom Brice

Australia trailed 4-1 into the sixth thanks to strong relief work from Dushan Ruzic
Glenn Williams started the sixth for Australia with a leadoff double
Ben Risinger followed that with a hit off the new Venezuelan pitcher Jackson Paz
A throwing error by shortstop Chavez allowed Australia to cut the lead in half 4-2
A costly baserunning mistake by Roneberg cleared the bases just ahead of a long homerun off the bat of Tom Brice
Australia cut the lead to one, but could have tied it

Venezuela brought in Erick Arteaga with one out in the seventh, and Australia greeted him with back to back doubles
Brad Harman started it, and Justin Huber drove him home with a double of his own

The game was tied, and the tension built

Erick Arteaga continued to roll through the Australia lineup as the game moved in to extra innings
Strong relief pitching prevailed for Australia as well and the game remained scoreless into the eleventh

Greg Wiltshire started the eleventh for Australia and escaped a jam stranding two and setting the stage for the bottom of the eleventh

Brett Roneberg lead off the eleventh with a booming double to center over the head of Connell who misread the ball
Brice sacrificed Roneberg to third base, and Mathew Kent was intentionally walked
Luke Hughes, a late inning defensive replacement, stepped up facing Venezuelan pitcher Junior Guerra
Looking for just a fly ball to win the game, Hughes crushed a 2-0 pitch out of the stadium over the left field bleacher, and Australia had their second consecutive walk off victory

The winning pitcher in relief was Greg Wiltshire
The loss went to Erick Arteaga despite is strong performance

The win moved Australia to 2-1 in Group B, and dropped Venezuela to 1-2

A miraculous three-run homer by second baseman Luke Hughes handed Australia a 7-4 eleventh inning win over Venezuela to put them on the cusp of the quarter-finals of the 37th Baseball World Cup

Having trailed 4-0 early, Australia sealed victory when Hughes delivered a knockout blow at the bottom of the eleventh inning - four hours and 12 minutes after the game started

The Australians are now two wins from three games - they beat Netherlands 4-3 on Thursday - and only need two wins from remaining games against minnows Thailand, Korea, Germany or Canada to advance

Hughes, who came into the game as a replacement in the seventh inning, was ecstatic with the result after his winning drive over left-field cleared the stadium
“I was guessing fast-ball and when he threw it, I just tried to put a good swing on it” Hughes said
“I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it
It was probably the biggest home run I have hit in my life, it felt awesome”

The young West Australian’s heroics were the fairytale ending to a nightmare start that had the Aussies chasing four runs after the top of the second inning

Australia won their second must-win game in a row on Friday beating Venezuela 7-4 to get right back in the thick of things in World Cup Group B action

The Aussies used six different relievers to blank Venezuela over the final 18 outs after starter Joshua Hill allowed four runs in three innings of work
Greg Wiltshire, who started the tourney opener against Cuba, pitched the final frame to pick up the victory

Centerfielder Trent Oeltjen continued his hot-hitting going 3-for-4 while Glenn Williams, Brett Roneberg, and Thomas Brice each had two hits apiece for Australia (2-1)

The Australians will finally get to relax with Thailand (0-3) sitting in the opposing dugout on Saturday