NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES A1
3rd DAY RETURN GROUP
BERTAZZONI COLLECCHIO – ITALPOSA FORLI’
RESULTS: GAME 1 2-8 GAME 2 0-5
Italposa returns from Emilia with a double victory over Collecchio, despite yet another suspension due to rain.
This week the bad weather was only atmospheric, on the pitch Italposa wanted redemption and so it happened, in both matches the Forlì team scored first and were never caught again, in game two the American Barnhill closed his experience in Forlì and his softball career by pitching another game of consistency, shut-out and 17 strikeouts scored on 21 putouts.
With this result the Romagna team consolidates third place in the standings, with Pianoro behind them who, by winning the double match against Caronno, pushes the Varese team into fifth position.
Game 1: for three innings the pitchers keep the defenses under control, in the fourth round there is a leap in the attacks, Forlì begins and opens the second half with Giacometti’s single Home run, 1-0, followed by Carlotta Onofri with a double, then with two outs Spiotta hits a single that brings Onofri to a point, Spiotta steals second base, then repeats it for third base where an incorrect defensive assistance allows him to score point number three for the Forlì team 3-0. In the lower part of the second half, a drop by the pitcher from Forlì allowed 4 of the 5 hits of the match, allowing the Emilian team to close the gap to 3-2. The Forlì attack reacts in the following inning, with Cacciamani in base-ball Giacometti is given an intentional base, to play Onofri Carlotta who on the second pitch sends the ball over the fence for another 3 points on the scoresheet, and on the partial score of 6 -2 for Italposa, the third trouble returns, rain and lightning cause the match to be suspended. After more than an hour and fifteen minutes we start playing again. Cacciamani on the platform regains full control and will only grant one hit from there to the end of the match. The Forlì attack strikes again and in the sixth inning with two runners on the bases Noemi Cortesi hits a double which leads to the scoring of Cacciamani and Cerioni, the score is thus fixed at 8-2 for Italposa, a score that will also be final of the race. Worth noting in the box is Onofri Carlotta’s excellent performance with 3 out of 3, a double and a HR.
Race 2: Race two will be remembered for the last race in the Italposa jersey for the American Barnhill but even more for the last race of Barnhill’s career. This time too we saw a solid performance from the Georgia pitcher. 17 strike outs out of 21 eliminated, 4 hits and 1 baseball left the Emilian attack dry. The first 12 outs of the game were scored by Barnhill on strike outs. In the first inning Forlì immediately puts the opposing defense under pressure with Cortesi at second base and Giacometti at first, both on base balls, Cortesi steals the third and on the wrong relaunch of the Emilian catcher he runs all the way home for point number one. In the second half Forlì adds another 2 points to the scoreboard. Meanwhile on the platform Barnhill concedes very little to the Emilian attack. In the 5th round another Forlì attack, Giacometti’s triple brings home Cacciamani and Onofri Carlotta’s subsequent diamond serve brings home the 5-0 point for the Romagna team. Barnhill’s evening ends with three strike out turns which ends his personal softball career.
As mentioned, Forlì consolidates third place, Pianoro’s double victory over Caronno puts the Bolognese team behind Forlì and causes the Varese team from Caronno to lose a place. At the top of the table are two easy victories for Bollate over Macerata 7-0 and 4-1 and equally easy matches for Saronno who won at home against Parma 13-3 and 3-1
Next Saturday Italposa will serve the rest period, returning to the field on Saturday 15/6 in Forlì against the Blue Girls Pianoro.
