A Parma Clima in full emergency saved the weekly budget by obtaining a splendid victory on the pitch of the Italian champions.
Saccardi’s team, which took to the pitch without any reserves on the bench for the “position players”, prevailed with a score of 3 to 2 by lining up on the mound the strange couple formed by Claudio Scotti and Manuel Santana, who left the pitch as a triumphant after having launched three shots of rare effectiveness. Luis Gonzalez’s serves were decisive for the ducal victory, 2 out of 3 with a double and a triple.
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Parma Clima presented the same batting order for the third time after also losing Scerrato, who was injured in two fingers in the frantic final action of the second match. Starting pitcher, in the absence of Erly Casanova, is the Roman Claudio Scotti, ex of the day.
Bologna also maintained the same setup as the afternoon match, handing the keys to the mound to Eduard Lopez.
Parma Clima hit the ground running immediately. Angioi hit a single to the opposite field, Encarnacion performed a double to right and Luis Gonzalez produced the points of 2 to 0 by sending an uncatchable ball between the fielders.
The reaction of the Italian champions was immediate but sterile. Paolini and Agretti hit two singles while Helder filled the cushions with no outs with a base ball. Scotti reacted well, eliminated Martina at the plate and then forced Liberatore and Gamberini to field two hits which Encarnacion – at home plate – and Luis Gonzalez transformed into as many eliminations.
In the next innings, Lopez allowed only a single to Noel Gonzalez while Scotti left two runners on second base and two outs with strikeouts against Paolini and Liberatore.
The hosts equalized at the fourth attempt by hitting three hits with Gamberini, Dobboletta and Paolini. Parma Clima saved themselves for the first time with a double play started by Desimoni with a catch on the fly and Gamberini’s subsequent elimination at home plate but they capitulated when Paolini hit a fly ball to the left that the ducal captain was unable to convert in the third out at the foul line.
After four rounds Scotti (4rl, 2pgl, 8bvc, 2bb, 4so) left the mound to Manuel Santana, unlucky in immediately suffering a mocking “texas leaguer” from Helder but skilled in obtaining a double play against Martina and in force Liberatore into a short serve on the diamond.
The match entered the last two rounds with a score of 2 to 2. Parma Clima’s sixth round ended with three easy eliminations but the same fate also befell the Bologna line-up.
The seventh inning began with the replacement of Lopez (6rl, 2pgl, 4bvc, 1 bb, 3so) with the left-handed Andretta, who was immediately hit by a triple to right by Luis Gonzalez. Frignani closed his defense but the veteran Desimoni hit a single to the center to give Parma the new lead. Astorri pushed his partner to second base with a sacrifice but the attack ended with the eliminations of Ascanio and Flisi.
The Italian champions have only one attack left to resume the match. Santana didn’t get off to a good start by giving Bertossi a free walk, he was helped by Paolini who hit a high “pop” on the diamond on a three-ball count and then got a strikeout on Agretti to bring himself just one out away from the hit. Bologna presented a very difficult customer like Helder in the box who however raised a sprint to the center well controlled by Tommaso Battioni.
Round Results TO: UnipolSai Bologna-Parmaclima 4-1, 2-1, 2-3; New Energy BBC Grosseto-San Marino 10-4, 8-1, 6-9; Hotsand Macerata-Big Mat Grosseto 2-3, 6-0, 15-0.
Classification: Bologna, San Marino (15-6) .714; Parma (12-9) .571, Macerata (11-10) .524; Bsc Grosseto (6-15) .286; BBC Grosseto (4-17) .190.
