![Newcastle baseballer Rixon Wingrove. Picture by Simone De Peak Newcastle baseballer Rixon Wingrove. Picture by Simone De Peak](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gNecaFSpqFSLkittedmeiY/a29dd885-4329-43d1-bcd5-5673cfcdfe4d.jpg/r0_460_4926_3230_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Australia find themselves in uncharted territory at the World Baseball Classic, reaching quarter-finals for the first time in the event's history.
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The Aussies, including Newcastle's Rixon Wingrove, beat Czech Republic 8-3 in Japan on Monday afternoon to ensure they finished second in their group and now meet Cuba in a top-eight showdown on Wednesday (March 15).
Seven runs scored across the last three innings helped Australia break a lengthy 1-all deadlock and safely clear the Czechs in round four.
First-baseman Wingrove gloved the last out at the bottom of the ninth, completing a double play with bases loaded.
The Aussies also went down to hosts and top-ranked Japan 7-1 at a sold-out Tokyo Dome, which held a crowd of 41,000 on Sunday night.
It marked Australia's first loss of the tournament, having previously accounted for China (12-2) and Korea (8-7).
Wingrove equalled a national record at the World Baseball Classic, producing four RBIs (runs batted in) in the one game.
"It's surreal. We're just going to enjoy the moment at this point. We are happy where we're at and every game that we try and go into, we try and win," Wingrove told Baseball Australia media following his effort against China on Saturday.
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