World champions again

pionships.

After receiving another gold medal, Nukunuku, 37, learned he had been elected as an athletes representative on the World Baseball Softball Council, the game’s governing body.

If this proves his final tournament, it was a fitting way to go out for the Auckland infielder. He and Rona, 41, will leave the Black Sox in fine heart.

Evans and brothers Thomas and Campbell Enoka - who both had important hits in the final - are all in their early to mid-20s.They have plenty of softball ahead of them, as does 28-year-old Hayes - a double gold medallist - and starting pitcher Josh Pettett, 24, teenage shortstop Cole Evans and many more of Sorenson’s squad.

Pettett started the final in fine fettle, striking out five Australians in the first two innings while Campbell Enoka gave the Black Sox a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, after picking a walk, advancing on Evans’ slap single and scoring on a caught foul fly in leftfield.

Wellington’s Pettett began to falter in the third when Australia struck back after James Todhunter batted in a run and Andrew Kirkpatrick scored another with a sacrifice fly.

Ryan Sinclair batted in Kiwiborn Liam O’Leary in the fourth frame for a 3-1 lead and Sorenson yanked Pettett for Hayes at the top of the fifth.

Hayes showed real composure to bear down on the Australian hitters and break their momentum with a clever variety of pitches, working well with catcher Kallan Compain.

New Zealand closed the gap to 3-2 after Campbell Enoka doubled in the fifth inning and scored and the game came alive in the sixth with one swing of Joel Evans’ trusty bat following singles by Laulu and pinch hitter Josh Harbrow.

Hayes struck out two hitters in the top of the seventh and was in a full count cat-and-mouse duel with Shailes, one of the world’s top hitters, before the Australian veteran drove the ball out of the park.

It didn’t matter though because Kirkpatrick grounded out for the final out and the New Zealanders were world champions for a seventh time.