Top-half of IBL teams continue to dominate

ROME – With two weeks and six games remaining on the Italian Baseball League regular-season schedule, it is all but a foregone conclusion that Nettuno will capture the fourth and final playoff berth. 

Nettuno’s Steno Borghese Stadium served as the focal point of IBL Week 12 action, as fourth-place Nettuno and fifth-place Parma faced off against each other. 

Parma started off the series with a 4-2 win over the hosts Friday night, which brought the Parmagiani within 2 games of fourth-place Nettuno and had added serious potential to Parma’s playoff possibilities. 

Nettuno quickly dashed Parma’s flirtation with fourth-place, sending the Parmagiani home packing on the losing end of a closely contested, 4-2 and 4-3, Saturday doubleheader sweep.

Parma is now 4 games behind Nettuno, and the Parmagiani would have to win at least 5 of their last 6 games, while praying for some help from Nettuno’s opponents: major rival Grosseto and Godo, whose combined records are 21-51. 

Nettuno’s magic number is 1 and would capture the fourth and final playoff berth even with the same regular-season as Parma, due to Nettuno’s 4-2 head-to-head record with Parma this season.

San Marino, Rimini and Bologna had already made reservations for the postseason coming into IBL Week 12, but none of these teams have showed any signs of letting up at the finish line, as the regular-season title and bragging rights are both on the line.    

San Marino gouged Godo 34-7 over the weekend, completing an easy sweep at the friendly confines of Antonion Casadio Ballpark in Godo. San Marino took 5 of the 6 games versus Godo this year.

Rimini executed a season-sweep of last-place Novara, taking the final three games in easy fashion at Pirate Stadium: 7-0, 16-4 (7) and 11-3.

Bologna blasted Grosseto, shutting down the Oriole offense to the tune of just 3 runs allowed, while piling on 18 runs in front of the home crowd.