Summary:

ACT dominated NSW from the first pitch in the opening game of the day, scoring nine unanswered runs in the 1^st and 2^nd innings before cruising to an 11-0 win.

As they had done on Day 2, Victoria fought valiantly, keeping NSW to just three runs. However, they struggled to convert on offense, scoring only one run from four hits. 3-1 to NSW the final score.

The Patriots were sailing to victory against South Australia, ahead 5-0 after five innings. But it fell apart for Queensland from there, conceding seven runs in the last two innings to fall 7-6, the win clinched on a walk-off homerun by Harry May.

Victoria’s determination paid off in their early afternoon game against powerhouse ACT. After forcing the game into extra innings, the Big V scored a go-ahead single in the 8^th and held on for a 3-2 victory.

As they have done all tournament, SA started well to lead 4-1 at the end of the 1^st against NSW. But the Blue Bloods clicked into gear in the 3^rd inning, scoring 12 runs in quick succession for a comfortable 13-6 win.

ACT eased their way to a 5-1 lead against Queensland at the top of the 6^th, but a pitching change by the 89ers lead to a huge shift in momentum. The host state had four errors in the inning and gave up 8 runs, leading to a 9-5 win for Queensland, their first over the ACT since 2008.

Queensland kept their Championship hopes alive for another day after overcoming South Australia in the 4 vs 5 sudden-death final. The Croweaters banged on 8 runs in the 2^nd innings to hold the early lead, but their defence leaked 10 runs in 3 innings with the Patriots coming out on top 12-9.

Jack Besgroves amazing pitching form for NSW continued against the ACT in the 1 v 2 playoff, earning his side a spot in the grand final. The 20-year-old had 13 strikeouts and gave up only 2 hits in the 7-3 win, and follows his perfect game against Queensland on Day 2.

Day 3 Results:

NSW 0 def by ACT 11

VIC 1 def by NSW 3

SA 7 def QLD 6

ACT 2 def by VIC 3

SA 6 def by NSW 13

ACT 5 def by QLD 9

QLD (4^th) 12 def SA (5^th) 9

NSW (1^st) 7 def v ACT (2^nd) 3

For complete Box Scores, please click here.

Ladder Day 3

To see the standings after Day 3, please click here.

Day 4 Schedule:

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

To see the full schedule for Day 4, please click here.

Day 4 What to Watch For:

Around 5pm tomorrow night, Softball Australia will crown the winner of the 2022 National Champion. Jack Besgrove has carried the NSW side to the big dance, and it is difficult to see many runs being scored against him.

ACT meanwhile lost three games on Day 3, casting a shadow over their dominance. Two of those losses also came against Victoria and Queensland, the other remaining finalists. For the first time since 2018, we could see a side other than the ACT take home the John Reid Shield.

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