Four play key roles in emotional win

Four Port Hedland baseballers played big roles in the WA Heat’s gold medal win in Sydney last week.

Joel Beches, Alex Hall, Jake Taylor and David John competed in the 2017 under-18 Baseball National Youth Championships in Blacktown, Sydney, last week and defeated New South Wales 4-3.

All four boys grew up in Port Hedland and competed in the Hedland Red Sox in the Pilbara T-Ball Championships from the age of six.

After one of the most dramatic and emotion-filled matches at the National Youth Championships, the gold medal win means Jake and David will join Team Australia for the Under-18 World Cup Qualifier in Thunder Bay, Canada, later this year.

WA manager Mark Pettit sang the praises of the team, saying the victory was particularly emotional given the recent death of WA baseball legend Greg Jelks.

“The past two weeks have been such an emotional rollercoaster for not just us but baseball in Australia,” he said.