Nothing is for sure just yet, but after UnipolSai Bologna was able to walk away with the three game sweep of T&A San Marino they have defiantly made their road towards a finals bid all that much easier with just six games to go on the schedule, which would be their first finals since 2010. Two W’s should do the trick, in their next two series with Lino’s Coffee Parma and the Rimini Pirates.
Lino’s Coffee Parma has run across some rough times over the last couple of weeks. After beginning the second round of the IBL with three losses to Bologna they have put up a fight ever since each time out, but without a lot of success in the wins column. Standing in with a 3 and 9 record, Parma has struggled to get that clutch hit when needed, as five of their losses have been by just a single run, while in two others the difference was just two. If the ball were to have bounced Parma’s way on those few occasions where they had runners in scoring position in key situations, they could be in a virtual tie with San Marino at 5 and 7, while Rimini would be sitting at 6 and 6 and Bologna at 8 and 4.
With two wins this past weekend for the Rimini Pirates, they now hold their destiny in their own hands. With a two game lead over T&A San Marino heading into a three game set with them which begins on Thursday evening in Rimini they could punch their own ticket to the finals this weekend with a series sweep of T&A. To do so they are going to have to hope for a usual Ekstrom, followed up by Gonzalez and their Italian mound.
T&A San Marino on the other hand will have their work cut out for them over their next six games, with their first big test coming against Rimini, in Rimini, which begins on Thursday night. This past weekend was a real kick in the gut for the three time defending champs, however don’t count out this club just yet as history has shown them to be fighters till the very end. With injuries still being the main question in San Marino’s dugout, we’ll have to wait and see who will be ready to lace them up when the team hits the field on Thursday.
UnipolSai Bologna came up huge against San Marino this past weekend with a three game sweep of the defending IBL champs. The three victories now puts them in a nice spot with only six games left on the schedule. At the moment it looks as if just two wins will be enough for an Italian Baseball Series bid. With an offense that has come alive, lead by Liverziani, and a mound that has been lights out all season long, look for this club to be the first to punch a finals ticket, with home field advance on their mind.
