2013 European Champions Cup Finals: Game 1 to Rivero and Bologna

2013 European Champions Cup Finals: Game 1 to Rivero and Bologna
02/08/2013
It was a big night for baseball at the “Gianni Falchi” stadium in Bologna as Unipol and Rimini got things started in game one the best of three European Champions Cup finals

It was a big night for baseball at the “Gianni Falchi” stadium in Bologna as Unipol and Rimini got things started in game one the best of three European Champions Cup finals. A night full of extra events, fans, and a hometown ten - nothing victory put smiles on almost all the faces in attendances.  

The packed house in Bologna watched their hometown team take it to the Rimini Pirates on Thursday evening, as they were able to get off to a fairly easy one to nothing lead in the best of three EU Champions Cup Finals with a ten – nothing win. With a dominant Raul Rivero on the mound, who gave up only one hit (Babini - two bagger in the 3rd), two walks, and struck out nine, Rimini had no chance in game one, simply being out powered by the Venezuelan righty. On the offensive side of the ball Unipol put up ten runs, thanks to six hits, an alarming twelve walks, three hit by pitches and two errors, all of which made the evening a night to forget for Chris Catanoso’s ball club.

Nanni’s team (Bologna) got off to a quick start in the bottom of the 1st when they pushed across two runs on one hit and two errors. Infante got things started with a leadoff walk, where he later advanced to second on a botched bunt play that saw Ernobel Marquez pick up the first of the two errors in the inning. The very next batter, Vaglio, reached base on a walk, which loaded the sacks. Marquez then recorded the first out of the inning with a backwards ‘K’ of Reyes, and was just one pitch away from getting out of the bases loaded nobody out jam, when Babini committed the second error of the frame that allowed Infante to cross the plate with the games first run. Bologna tacked on one more thanks to a single by Bischeri that plated Ermini.  

Bologna put some more distance between themselves and Rimini on the scoreboard in their second and fourth thanks to two solo shots off the bats of Infante and Sabatani. Both these long balls put an electric change in the maximum capacity crowd, as four runs after four complete innings seemed like the game was already in the bag, and well with Rivero on the bump it was. The Venezuelan righty was just too strong for the normally extremely potent Rimini offense (Regular season team batting average of .314), as the well known names of Romero, Santora, Chiarini, and company just could get anything going.

The game completely unraveled for Telemarket Rimini in the bottom of the 7th when six runs crossed the plate without single hit by Bolonga, but on seven walks, two hit batters, and a sac fly. The six run frame put the Pirates out for good due to the ten run rule after 7 innings. Bologna will now move towards the coast with a one-zero series lead, looking to end tournament on Friday evening in Rimini to become champs of the 50th annual European Champions Cup.