In a must-win game against Belgium, Team Italy manager Francesco Aluffi called upon starting pitcher Sebastiano Castellani on the final day of U18 European Baseball Championship Group B round-robin play at Sportovní areál Hroch in Brno on Thursday, August 18, 2022. The crafty left-handed starter threw three innings and gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
Reliever Cristian Laghi was impressive striking out the side in the bottom of the fourth inning before experiencing control issues in the bottom of the fifth inning and gifting Belgium one run after a single and three walks. With bases loaded, he fought back and got out of the jam with two strikeouts and an infield flyout to end the inning. Diego Gergolet entered the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning and held Belgium scoreless. Tommaso Adorni closed the game with a strikeout in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the 11-2 victory for Team Italy.
Team Italy got on the board early when scoring two runs in the top of first inning. Shortstop. Edoardo Cornelli led off with a walk. Second baseman Williams Wong followed with a double down the left field line. Then third baseman Manuel Zazza hit an RBI single. A balk by Belgium starting pitcher Tom Beeckmans allowed Williams Wong to cross the plate and give the Italians a 2-0 advantage.
Team Italy returned in the bottom of the second inning and added one run. After back-to-back singles by captain Tommaso Adorni and right fielder Alessandro Volpe, left fielder Niccolò Funzione grounded into a double play and Tommaso Adorni scored.
Belgium put up one run in the bottom of the
third inning to make it a 3-1 game. The Italians answered with a run of their
own in the top of the fourth inning after a leadoff walk to designated hitter Andres
Annunziata and an RBI double by
Alessandro Volpe.
Team Italy scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning. First baseman Filippo Venditti tripled and scored on an RBI single by the hot-hitting Andres Annunziata. Catcher Marco Ragionieri walked and center fielder Tommaso Adorni followed with an RBI double. Belgium reliever Ruben Van Landuyt balked to allow Marco Ragionieri to score from third base and put the Italians on top 7-1. Belgium got one run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The relentless Team Italy offense tacked on three runs in the top of the sixth inning. After a leadoff double by Diego Luciani and a single from Manuel Zazza, Filippo Venditti picked up an RBI after a groundout. A sacrifice fly by third baseman Manuel Zazza resulted in the second run of the inning. Marco Ragioneri followed with an infield single and later scored on an RBI double by Tommaso Adorni.
Team Italy added an additional run in the top of the seventh inning. Bases were loaded for RBI machine Andres Annunziata after back-to-back singles by Edoardo Cornelli and Diego Luciani and a walk to Manuel Zazza. The clutch-hitting DH registered his third RBI of the contest with a single to make it a 11-2 game.
ITALY-BELGIUM BOX SCORE
ITALY-BELGIUM LIVESTREAM REPLAY
Team Italy (4-1) now advances to the U18 European Baseball Championship semifinals in Brno and faces undefeated Spain (5-0) on Friday, August 19, 2022 at 3 pm (local time) or 9 am (ET). Host Czech Republic (5-0) plays Kingdom of the Netherlands (4-1) in the other semifinal game later at 7 pm (local time) or 1 pm (ET). The Gold and Bronze Medal Games are scheduled for Saturday, August 20, 2022. Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
TEAM ITALY RESULTS IN GROUP B
U18 EUROPEAN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
U18 EUROPEAN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP LIVESTREAM
TEAM ITALY U18 BASEBALL NEWS
