Summary:

• After losing all of Day 1 and most of Day 2 to wet weather, the 2022 Open Men's National Championships finally kicked off this afternoon at Hawker Softball Centre. The conditions limited play to just 4 games for the day, however all sides hit the field in the compressed schedule.
• South Australia scored the opening 2 runs in their opening game, but it was all Victoria from there, with the Big V scoring 8 and 4 runs in the second and fourth innings respectively to claim a 13-3 win.
• Defence made the difference in the game between NSW and Queensland, with Queensland failing to register a hit in their 7-0 loss.
• In the third game of the day, the ACT overcame a slow start and a determined South Australia to notch their first win of the tournament, 9-2.
• Queensland bounced back in their second game, but were made to earn a hard fought win over Victoria, 7-1.

Day 1 Results:

VIC 13 def vs SA 3

NSW 7 def QLD 0

ACT 9 def SA 2

QLD 6 def VIC 1

For complete Box Scores, please click here.

Ladder Day 1

To see the standings after Day 1, please click here.

Day 2 Schedule:

Games start at 9:00am AEDT with a 15-minute break between each game

To see the full schedule for Day 2, please click here.

Day 2 What to Watch For:

With the event shortened by rain, tomorrow essentially becomes a 1-day shootout to earn top seeding for the finals. With so much hinging on each game, expect the tension to ratchet up during the afternoon.

The compressed schedule will also stretch the stamina and fitness of players. Teams will play up to 4 games tomorrow, so look for pitchers to be rested early if their team has a comfortable lead.

Under the revised schedules, all teams get a place in the final. The top two teams earn a double-chance, while it’s sudden death for the remainder of the field. The double-chance will undoubtedly add additional incentive in the NSW vs ACT game at 9am.

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