Under sunny skies on the Arezzo diamond, the Future Stars Game highlighted the week-long Mission Classic in an effort to introduce the Italian prospects to the Team Italy MLB-affiliated players and coaches. After a thorough routine of warm-up and pregame exercises led by the professional players and staff, the White team took orders from manager Blake Butera and coaches Brett Sullivan and Sam Haggerty. The victorious Blue team was under the watchful eye of manager Chris Denorfia and coaches David Fletcher and Vinnie Pasquantino. The first pitch was thrown by Federico Scapecchi, councilor for sport of the Municipality of Arezzo. The Blue team scored the only run of the game in the third inning when Alessandro Barbona doubled and scored on an RBI single by Riccardo Bertossi.
The lineups looked like this:
White: Tommaso Battioni (CF), Gabriele Angioi (SS), Andrea Pasotto (RF), Alessandro Volpe (LF), Giulio Monello (C), Daniele Di Persia (3B), Filippo Venditti (1B), Marco Ragionieri (DH) and Lorenzo Barbona (2B).
Blue: Riccardo Bertossi (CF), Alberto Mineo (C), Samuele Bruno (LF), Samuele Gamberini (1B), Andres Annunziata (DH), Manuel Zazza (2B), Jacopo Tamburini (SS); Andrea Giorgeschi (3B) and Alessandro Barbona (RF).
The pitching rotation was as follows:
White: Claudio Scotti, Gabriele Quattrini (2 innings), Ion Doba and Alex Bassani.
Blue: Mattia Aldegheri, Matteo Bocchi, Enrico Zanchi, Simone Carnevale and Matteo Marelli.
Baseball Softball Club Arezzo hosted a delicious lunch for all the players, coaches, staff and volunteers immediately following the Future Stars Game.
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
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