ITALY – Emiliano Ginanneschi tossed a complete-game six-hitter and Montepaschi Grosseto scored two late runs to slip past Telemarket Rimini 3-2 on Saturday night to inch closer to clinching a playoff berth.

Grosseto (25-14),the reigning league champions, need one win or a loss by Parma next weekend to secure a spot in the post-season to defend their crown. The loss officially eliminated Rimini (19-20) from the playoffs.

Juan Melo’s infield hit and a throwing error by Grosseto third baseman Andrea Sgnaolin scored leadoff hitter Manny Alexander in the first to give Rimini an early advantage. Gabriele Ermini’s RBI double in the sixth briefly tied the score before Alexander opened the bottom of the inning with his second home run of the season to put Rimini back on top, 2-1.

Davide Dallospedale tagged Rimini relief pitcher Ilo Bartolucci for a leadoff triple in the eighth and strolled home with the tying run on Raul Marval’s RBI hit up the middle. Rimini loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a double by Alexander and a pair of walks. But, Ginanneschi struck out Mario Chiarini on three pitches to end the threat and the inning.

Bartolucci retired the first two hitters to start the ninth before Andrea De Santis laced an 0-1 pitch into center field for a single, and then swiped second. Jorge Nunez followed with an infield hit that advanced De Santis to third and an error on Rimini first baseman Clint Balgera on the play allowed the speedy centerfielder to score the game-winning run.

Alexander finished the contest 3-for-4 with a double and a homer in a losing effort while Dallospedale led Grosseto with a pair of hits.

Ginanneschi (6-1) walked two and fanned six to pick up the win while Bartolucci (1-4) yielded two runs and four hits in three innings of work to suffer the loss. Rimini starter Sandy Patrone was pinned with a no-decision although he threw six solid innings giving up a run on two hits with five walks and two strikeouts.

Parma Tops Godo

Luca Scalera’s three-run double in the seventh might have salvaged the season for Cariparma Parma on Saturday as the fifth-place squad disposed of Godo 6-4 to stay in the hunt for the final playoff berth.

Parma (22-17) looked to be in great shape last week after sweeping T&A San Marino but dropped 2-of-3 to Godo (7-32), and must win at least two games against Grosseto next week while rooting for Nettuno to beat up on San Marino.

Godo went up 1-0 on a sacrifice fly from Francesco Fuzzi in the second but Parma countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. However, Godo went back on top in the third on RBI singles by Manuel Marussich and Roberto Toniazzi.

Robert De Franceschi’s single in the fourth scored Kyle Messineo to increase the lead to 4-2 until Scalera’s game-winning hit in the seventh denied Godo their first sweep of the year. Filippo Mori (2-4) picked up the win while Matteo Galeotti (1-8) was tagged with the setback.

Photo/Telemarket Rimini

Click here for more Italian Baseball news

Tags: Italy