LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- After they were embarrassed in a mercy-rule-shortened game to open the World Baseball Classic, Australia\'s manager Jon Deeble indicated that it wasn\'t a performance that was indicative of his team\'s capabilities.
Rebounding from the opening-game shutout loss delivered by Italy, the Australians proved this with respectable performances against much stronger competition provided by Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
There were no wins to show for the effort provided by the Australians in the inaugural WBC, but they can certainly go home proud of the way their pitchers performed against the powerful Latin nations.
"I think we got respect and credibility," Deeble said, after his team ended Pool D play on Friday night at Disney\'s Wide World of Sports complex with a 6-4 loss to the powerful Dominicans.
With the victory, the Dominicans finished Pool play with a perfect 3-0 record, and along with Venezuela (2-1), earned themselves a spot in the second round. As for the Australians (0-3), they go back home hoping to find that they sparked even more baseball interest in their country.
Although Australia won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, first baseman Justin Huber says that baseball is considered a third-tier sport in his native land. Despite the fact that he was the Most Valuable Player in last summer\'s Futures Game, Huber says "most of [his] mates have never seen [him] play."
"I think with the last two games that we\'ve played, I think you can see there is some legitimate talent in our country," Huber said. "I\'m very proud of what we\'ve done, and I think we\'ve achieved our goal of getting some credit."
Australia\'s 2-0 loss to Venezuela on Thursday night proved that its 10-0 setback to Italy was somewhat of a fluke. Ending with a two-run setback to the Dominicans only solidified that belief.
"I think that the last two games against Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, that\'s Australian baseball to a T," Australian starter Damian Moss said. "We\'re going to go. We\'re going to fight, and we\'re not going to give up until the last out."
The Australians kept things interesting until the end against the Dominicans, loading the bases with nobody out in the ninth. After Luke Hughes grounded into a double play, Trent Durrington delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to two. But Dominican reliever Damaso Marte entered, and ended things by getting Glenn Williams to hit a lazy infield pop fly into foul territory.
"We\'ve got a chance to compete in [the WBC] down the track," Deeble said. "I think we showed that tonight."
Moss, who was looking to impress a number of Major League scouts in attendance, jokingly told one of the ground crew earlier this week that he wouldn\'t mind them keeping the protective batting practice screen in front of the mound for his outing against the Dominicans.
But it wasn\'t exactly the power of Albert Pujols or David Ortiz that quelled Moss. Instead, it was the southpaw\'s own inability to consistently find the strike zone. He threw just 35 of his 65 pitches for strikes and lasted just 2 2/3 innings. In the process, he was charged with four earned runs, issued four walks and registered just one strikeout.
"I was satisfied with what I did when I went out there today," Moss said. "That\'s the second time I\'ve faced hitters in about six months. So to go out there, and face a lineup like that ... you know you want to face the best, so I was happy."
Moss\' struggles prevented the Australians from taking advantage of the seven hits their offense produced against the Dominicans. While getting shut out in their first two games of the tournament, the Aussie bats registered a total of just two hits.
Durrington, who had contributed one of those two hits, got things started auspiciously against the Dominicans by drawing a walk to begin the game. He stole second base, and two batters later, scored on a Brett Roneberg sacrifice fly.
But the Aussies\' only lead of the tournament was short-lived.
Moss escaped the first inning unscathed by striking out David Ortiz. But during a 36-pitch second inning, he issued three walks and allowed the Dominicans to score three runs. The only extra-base hit he surrendered during the frame came when Alberto Castillo directed a two-run double past third base and into the left-field corner.
Ortiz, who grounded out to end the second inning with the bases loaded, exited in the fourth inning. He was replaced by Luis Polonia, who had singles that led to a run in both the fourth and sixth innings.
"I think this was great for Australian baseball," Deeble said. "Hopefully, we get invited back to the next [WBC, in 2009], and hopefully we can, instead of losing by two, maybe we can win by two." ', tagline: 'Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com.', summary: null, article_photo: { caption: 'Australia\'s Brett Roneberg hits a sacrifice fly in the first inning Friday.', credit: 'Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP', path: '/images/2006/03/10/QR6TDuDo.jpg' }, sub_headline: 'Australia can hold head high after hard-fought defeat', alt_headline: 'Aussies play D.R. tough in finale', related_links: null, headline: 'Aussies play D.R. tough in finale' }