Team Italy's Alessandro Maestri and Gavin Cecchini face off in Australian Baseball League

Team Italy patriarch Alessandro Maestri pitched six solid innings and allowed just two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk to pick up the win in the Sydney Blue Sox 5-3 victory over the Canberra Cavalry at MIT Narrabundah Ballpark in Canberra on December 12, 2019. Two of the six hits Alessandro Maestri surrendered were to Team Italy shortstop Gavin Cecchini, who hit an RBI double in his second at-bat and a single in his final at-bat against the Team Italy pitcher. It was the second win for Alessandro Maestri (2-0, 1.13 ERA) this season, and the first time the Sydney Blue Sox defeated the Canberra Cavalry in a series opener since 2015.

The Sydney Blue Sox (9-7) won three of the four games played against the Canberra Cavalry (5-11) over the weekend. In the four-game series finale, Gavin Cecchini belted two home runs to help the Canberra Cavalry in the 18-2 rout over the Sydney Blue Sox on December 15, 2019. In 16 regular season games, Gavin Cecchini has a .333 battting average. The Australian Baseball League Northeast Division-leading Sydney Blue Sox currently have a four-game advantage over the cellar-dwelling Canberra Cavalry. Forza #Italia!

by Roberto Angotti