KARAJ, Iran: Palestine triumphed over reigning champions Pakistan in a dramatic finale of the West Asia Baseball Championship, held in Karaj, Iran.
The tense contest ended 5-4 in favour of Palestine after the match went into an extra inning, following a 4-4 stalemate over the regulation nine innings.
Palestine got off to a strong start, opening the scoring with a run in the first inning and extending their lead to 4-0 with three more runs in the third.
The early dominance put Pakistan under significant pressure, though the Green Shirts responded with grit and determination.
Pakistan reduced the deficit by scoring a run in the fourth inning and added another in the top of the fifth to make it 4-2.
However, Palestine quickly hit back with a run in the bottom half of the same inning to restore their two-run cushion.
Extra innings
The match reached a dramatic crescendo in the ninth inning when Pakistan rallied to score two runs, drawing level at 4-4 and forcing the contest into extra innings.
Despite carrying the momentum into the extra frame, Pakistan were unable to capitalise, while Palestine managed to score a decisive run, securing a historic victory and claiming the West Asian title.
Earlier in the day, host nation Iran secured third place by defeating India in the playoff match.
It is worth noting that Pakistan had enjoyed a dominant run leading up to the final.
They topped Group B with emphatic wins, beginning their campaign with a 10-6 victory over Bangladesh, followed by a crushing 14-0 win against Iran.
In the semi-finals, they comfortably dispatched arch-rivals India with a commanding 14-1 performance.
