Against Czech Republic at the U12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan on Thursday, August 4, 2022, Team Italy U12 manager Stefano Burato handed the ball off to starting pitcher Tommaso Destro. The young and promising hurler had control issues early in the top of the first inning when two walks and a wild pitch led to the Czech Republic scoring one run. He threw a scoreless second inning despite issuing two more walks.
Reliever Diego Di Chiara entered the contest with a runner in scoring position after a walk and a balk by starter Tommaso Destro in the top of the third inning. The Czech Republic offense went to work and added two runs to make it a 3-0 game.
The Czechs returned in the top of the fourth inning to score two more runs and take a commanding 5-0 lead.
Team Italy took advantage of walks and errors to score five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Diego Di Chiara reached first base on an infield error, Gabriele Pucci walked and Tommaso Destro hit an infield single to load the bases. Riccardo Orsenigo and Edoardo Angioni followed with RBI singles. An error by the Czech third baseman allowed Matteo Almonte to get on first and Tommaso Destro to cross the plate. Riccardo Orsenigo also scored on an ensuing infield error which loaded the bases again. A walk to Diego Di Chiara yielded another run to tie the ballgame 5-5.
The Italians actually were ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning after an RBI single by Edoardo Angioni pushed Tommaso Destro across the plate. Czech Republic answered in the top of the sixth inning after a pair of walks and an infield throwing error amounted to one run.
With the game even 6-6 at the end of six complete innings, the tie-breaker rule was put into effect. In the top of the seventh inning, Czech Republic registered four runs off Diego Di Chiara and an insurance run off reliever Anita Bissa to get out in front 11-6.
Team Italy came out empty in the bottom of the seventh inning to lose the heartbreaking tie-breaker contest.
CZECH REPUBLIC/ITALY BOX SCORE
Team Italy (1-5) plays its final U12 Baseball World Cup Placement Round Game against Japan (3-3) on Saturday August 6, 2022 at 10:30 am (local time) or Friday, August 5, 2022 at 10:30 pm (ET). Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
U12 BASEBALL WORLD CUP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
TEAM ITALY U12 NEWS
(Photo of Czech Republic celebrating the tie-breaker victory over Italy in the U12 Baseball World Cup courtesy of WBSC)
