Six-Run Fifth Carries Australia Past Chinese Taipei for APBC Bronze

Australia scored six runs in the fifth inning and held off Chinese Taipei 6-4 at Tokyo Dome on Sunday to win third place at the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship.

The result reversed Australia’s 6-4 preliminary-round loss to Chinese Taipei two days earlier. Brent Iredale opened the decisive rally with an RBI single before Blake Cavill and Clayton Campbell each delivered two-run doubles.

• Result: Australia 6, Chinese Taipei 4
• Decisive moment: Australia’s six-run fifth inning
• Winning pitcher: Ky Hampton
• Save: Kieren Hall
• Attendance: 6,121 at Tokyo Dome

Australia turns one inning into six runs

Chinese Taipei took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Hampton prevented the game from opening up. The right-hander entered with two runners aboard and no outs, allowed a run-scoring groundout, then struck out the next two batters. He worked three scoreless innings, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out four.

Australia changed the game in the fifth. Jayden Kim walked and Byron Armstrong moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Jaylin Rae and Alex Hall then drew walks to load the bases.

Iredale tied the game with a single to center. Chris Burke was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run, Cavill doubled down the right-field line to score two more, and Campbell followed with a two-run double down the left-field line. In the space of six batters, Australia had turned a 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 lead.

Chinese Taipei answers, but Australia’s bullpen holds

Chinese Taipei immediately made the game tight again. Liu Chun-Wei cleared the bases with a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth, cutting the margin to 6-4.

That was the final scoring. Conor Myles steadied Australia with 1 2/3 scoreless innings before Hall recorded the final eight outs. The Perth Heat right-hander did not allow a hit across 2 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out one to secure the save.

Australia finished with seven hits. Rae and Iredale had two apiece, while Cavill and Campbell combined for four RBIs in the inning that decided the bronze-medal game.

Australia reverses its preliminary-round defeat

The win gave Australia a third-place finish after a demanding four-game schedule against three of Asia’s leading professional baseball nations. Australia opened the tournament with an 8-7 comeback victory over Korea, lost 6-4 to Chinese Taipei and 16-1 to Japan, then responded in the placement game.

The APBC brings together emerging professional players from Australia, Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei. Japan and Korea were scheduled to meet in Sunday night’s championship game at Tokyo Dome.