ITALY – Renato Imperiali drove home Giuseppe Mazzanti with the winning score in the bottom of the 10th to help Danesi Nettuno edge Fortitudo Bologna 2-1 on Saturday in a low-scoring matchup.

Both Bologna (31-8) and Nettuno (27-12) have already clinched playoff berths heading into next week’s final slate of regular season games.

Claudio Liverziani touched Nettuno starter Carlos Richetti for a two-out double in the first before Richard Austin stroked an RBI single to put the regular season champions ahead 1-0. However, Mazzanti followed Juan Camilo’s two-out single in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring double to left field to tie the score.

Richetti and Bologna’s Fabio Betto locked horns in a scoreless affair until relief pitcher Matteo D’ Angelo took over for the league leaders to start the sixth. Nettuno loaded the bases off D’ Angelo in the seventh before Riccardo Paoletti came from the bullpen to get the final out and keep the score deadlocked at 1-1.

Nettuno reliever Marco Constantini entered the contest to begin the ninth and surrendered a pair of two-out singles before getting out of the jam on Joseph Mazzuca’s fielder’s choice. Bologna’s Alfredo Lopez also found himself in a hole in the bottom of the inning after back-to-back doubles by Vince Parisi and Paolino Ambrosino put runners on second and third with one out. However, an intentional walk and a 1-2-3 double play sent the game into extra innings.

Constantini retired the side in order in the 10th but Lopez was not as fortunate. Camilo started the inning with a double to left field and Mazzanti followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs before stealing second base. Lopez hit Igor Schiavetti on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases and induced a groundball from pinch-hitter Raffaele Medoro to force out Camilo at the plate for the first out of the inning. But Imperiali ended the game with a single to left field to give Nettuno the narrow win.

Lopez (1-1) was charged with the loss after giving up a run on five hits in 2.1 innings while Constantini (1-0) celebrated his first victory of the year. Richetti tossed eight superb innings allowing a run on four hits in a no-decision effort.

San Marino Routs Rangers

T&A San Marino broke open a close contest with seven-run outbursts in the fifth and seventh innings to rout Rangers Redipuglia 19-7 on Saturday to complete the three game series and move closer to securing a spot in the post-season.

San Marino (24-15) needs at least one win next weekend against Nettuno coupled with a Parma loss to Grosseto to clinch a playoff berth. The Rangers (1-38) lost for the 38th time in 39 outings.

Max De Biase and Francesco Imperiali put San Marino out front in the first with back-to-back RBI singles and the score remained 2-0 until the fifth when Dean Rovinelli, Seth La Fera and David Sheldon all smacked two-run hits to stretch the lead to 9-0. And, an inning later, San marino put up another seven runs.

Trailing 16-0, the Rangers finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on Lizahio Baez’s two-run shot off San Marino’s third pitcher, William Lucena. Baez added a two-run the following inning as the Rangers scored three more runs to make the score 16-5.

San Marino added three runs in the ninth to increase the lead to 19-5 before Stephen Baldinelli’s two-run drive made the final tally, 19-7.

The slugfest featured a combined 31 hits with La Fera going 4-for-6 while Sheldon, James Buccheri and Martin Vasquez each had three hits apiece in San Marino’s 20-hit attack.

Matteo Tonellato (3-3) tossed five shutout innings allowing just one hit and fanning three to get the win and Rangers starter Andrea Cossar (1-10) was charged with the loss after surrendering six run and 10 hits over 4.1 innings.

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Tags: Italy