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Summary: Under 23 Men

Victoria gave their home fans something to cheer about in the 3 vs 4 final, upsetting the ACT and advancing to the Preliminary Final with 7-0 win. Draft player Harry May was outstanding for the Big V with both bat and ball, recording two runs, two hits, and five RBIs on offence, while also pitching for five innings with not hits and no runs against.

The upsets continued in the 1 vs 2 final, with NSW earning an 11-5 win over first-placed Queensland. The Blue Bloods kicked the game off with four runs in the 1^st, before Queensland answered with four runs of their own in the 4^th. However, Queensland’s defence leaked all game, conceding runs in all but one inning. A two-run homer by NSW’s Haiden Reveco in the 7^th effectively sealed the win.

Victoria then fought valiantly against Queensland, but couldn’t find a way to score, going down 6-0 in the Preliminary Final. The game was in the balance until the bottom of the 5^th, when Michael Ludkin hit a three-run homer for Queensland, followed by another solo home run by Riley James. Layton Reid was also rock solid for Queensland in the pitching circle, recording 12 strikeouts.

Queensland are the 2022 Under 23 National Champions, after a dominant 9-0 win over New South Wales in the Grand Final. The Queenslanders set the tone right off the bat, scoring five runs in the top of the 1^st. Riley James continued his good form, scoring three runs and two RBIs, while Owen Thompson had four RBIs from two hits. But the MVP went to Queensland pitcher Layton Reid, who kept the Blue Bloods to two hits while taking six strikeouts. It is Queensland’s fourth Laing Harrow Shield in a row, and first since 2019 after COVID cancellations in 2020 and 2021.

Day 3 Results:

1^st vs 2^nd Final: NSW 11 def QLD 5

3^rd vs 4^th Final: VIC 7 def ACT 0

Preliminary Final: QLD 6 def VIC 0

Grand Final: QLD 9 def NSW 0

Tournament MVP: Matt Harrow (ACT)

Best Pitcher: Jeron Tan (ACT)

Best Batter: Riley James (QLD)

Grand Final MVP: Layton Reid (QLD)

For completed game reports, please click here.

For complete standings, please click here.

For the complete schedule, please click here.

Games start at 10:00am AEDT with a 15-minute break between each game

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Image courtesy Change of Focus Photography