After Team Italy defeated Belgium at the U23 European Baseball Championship in Schwechat, Austria via mercy rule by a score of 14-4 in five innings the day prior, the Italians traveled to nearby Wiener Neustadt, Austria on Thursday, August 10, 2023 to face Germany. Azzurri U23 manager Alberto D’Auria called on starting pitcher Matteo Marelli, who gave up five runs on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 1.1 innings. He was replaced by reliever Ion Doba, who entered the contest in the bottom of the second inning when Germany took a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Team Italy offense came to life in the top of the third inning. After back-to-back walks to Tommaso Giarola and Lorenzo Morresi, Samuele Gamberini slugged a three-run home run over the left field fence.
Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the third inning, Team Italy went to the bullpen again and summoned Juan Carlos Infante Jr., who kept Germany off the board in his 2.2 innings of work before an infield error by second baseman Tommaso Giarola allowed one run to score. He was replaced in the bottom of the fifth inning by reliever Marco Artitzu, who surrendered an RBI single to give Germany an 8-3 advantage. After walking in one run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Marco Artitzu was relieved by Francesco Pomponi. The young and promising reliever was tagged for a two-run double and an RBI single before throwing a wild pitch which yielded Germany its 13th run and enforced the mercy rule to end the contest.
ITALY-GERMANY BOX SCORE
VIDEO REPLAY
U23 EUROPEAN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
U23 EUROPEAN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
LIVESTREAM
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
(Photo of Team Italy slugger Lorenzo Morresi against Germany in the U23 European Baseball Championship by WBSC)
