Kathmandu, February 26

Nepal defeated Iraq by 13-3 in the 13th BFA Asia Asia Baseball Championship match in Islamabad, Pakistan on Sunday.

The victory was first-ever win for the Nepali baseball team in international tournament. Skipper Iswar Thapa played a key role in the victory as the ace pitcher of Nepal pitched the complete game and had 19 strike-outs for the team.

Nepali batters also got a total of nine hits with Anil Pariyar, Jeewan Nath and Achit Karki earning two hits each.

The victory has put Nepal in strong position to advance to the semi-finals. If hosts Pakistan beat Iraq on Monday, Nepal will earn a place in the last four.

Nepal had faced a 15-1 loss at the hands of Pakistan in the opening match on Saturday. A total of six teams are taking part in the championship.