Parma continues to impress, Bologna sweeps, Nettuno goes one and one with Ronchi

In Parma on Friday night the postseason fever was alive and well for Munoz’s club as they took game one of their two game set with the first place Rimini Pirates. 5-4 was the final in this one as the dual of Sanchez and Tabata out pitched Bazardo and Marquez. Parma went up early in the first with a three run shot of the bat of Sambucci, a shot that gave a boost of energy to the whole stadium. Rimini came back with two in the top half of the 2^nd to make it a one run ball game, but the team that struck blood next was once again Parma with 2 in the bottom of the 4^th off of two wild pitches thrown by Bazardo. Rimini made it interesting by making it a one run ball game in the 8^th, but that would be all that they would muster up as Tabata came on for the final 4 outs of the ball game, and promptly closed the door on Catanoso’s club.

Fortitudo Bologna completed the sweep with a difficult win over Reggio Emilia on Friday night in Bologna. The game was a back and forth seesaw battle that was won in extras (10) off of Crepaldi after Malengo lead off the frame with a double to left-center field and was later driven in on a long single by the pitch hitting Bischeri for the 5-4 win. The win puts Bologna a half a game back of the first place Rimini club at the moment as they will be scoreboard watching on Saturday evening to see what happens with the matchup between Rimini and Parma in Rimini. Will it be a tie at the top, or will the Pirates be able to keep a game distance for that top seed in the standings.

Down in Nettuno, Ronchi dei Legionari got off to a quick start against Andrea Pizziconi in game one, as they crossed 2 runs in the top of the first off of 4 hits and an error. However the tables quickly turned in this one when Bagilemani’s club began to swing the stick in the bottom half of the frame, putting up 3 and never looking back from that point on. Nettuno went onto score 2 more in the 3^rd, 5 in the 6^th and 1 in the 7^th as they took game one of the two game set by the final of 11 to 2. Notably in the box for Nettuno, Renato Imperiali went a perfect 3 for 3 with a run scored, and 2 RBI’s.

Game two of this double header was a completely different story as Jesus Yepez stole the show with a complete game shut out that absolutely silenced the normally very rowdy Nettuno fans. 5-0 was the final in this one, thanks to a 14 strikeout, 157 pitch performance by the Venezuelan southpaw, Yepez. As for his opponent De Santis, well he most defiantly held his ground and gave his club a chance with 8.1 sold innings of work, however he was chased from the game after he allowed three in the 9^th thanks to some shaky defense behind him. The loss tightens things up once again between the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th in the league.

The rest of the IBL will hit the field today: San Marino will welcome in Mike Romano's Novara club for two, as San Marino needs at least a split in order to keep their position in the standings. Elsewhere, the two last place teams, Grosseto and Godo, will go head to head as neither of the two wants to finish in the cellar.