Australia def. South Korea at World Baseball Classic, Results, Breaking News, Standings

Cricket is Australia’s national game, but the country’s baseball team dealt a blow to its sport with a surprise 8-7 win over South Korea at the World Baseball Classic on Thursday.

Tim Kennelly, Robbie Glendinning and Robbie Perkins all blasted their homers in Tokyo to edge Australia past the heavily courted Koreans in their opening game of the tournament.

Australia have never progressed through the first round in their four appearances so far, but they can qualify for the quarter-finals if they finish in the top two in Pool B, which also includes Japan, China and the Czech Republic.

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Japan, whose team includes Shohei Ohtani and other major league baseball stars, is a hot pick for group victory. All pool games are held in Tokyo.

Australia went two runs ahead when Logan Wade put in a run in the fourth inning and Kennelly hit a home run single in the fifth.

South Korea hit back when Yang Eui-ji hit a three-run homer late in the fifth.

But the Aussies weren’t done yet, and Glendinning put them back in front two innings later with a huge three-run homer.

Perkins then added three more runs with a homer in the eighth and Australia held out despite a furious late comeback from the South Koreans.

Australia’s next game is against China on Saturday, while South Korea plays Japan on Friday.