Roberto Corradini stole the show in Rimini on Saturday evening, tossing up a complete game shutout over UnipolSai Bologna for the 3-2 series lead. Corradini tossed up a total of 9 innings, allowing 0 runs, 6 hits, 0 walks, and striking out 5. All four of Rimini’s runs came in the bottom of the 5th, of which was topped off by a huge 3 run line drive homer off the bat of Alexander Romero. With the win the Rimini Pirates now move to just one game away from the Italian Baseball League’s top prize, an accomplishment that has seemed to have alluded them in recent history. Game six and the *if necessary game seven will be played next week in Bologna on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday’s game five got off to a slow start with each team not even being able to get a runner past first base till the 3rd, when Rimini stranded both Spinelli and Bertagnon on the sacs. Rimini threatened once again in the bottom of the 4th when with runners on the corners De Santis was able to get Gomez to line into an inning ending 4-3 double play, with Bologna doubling off Chiarini at first stranding Salazar on third. In the 5th Rimini was able to put a crooked number on the scoreboard, in what would be the game’s only runs. Run number one came when Jack Santora singled to left, driving in Spinelli from second, and putting the game at one-nothing. After a quick visit to the mound, Romero then stepped to the plate with runners on first and second where he proceeded to clear the bases with one swing of the bat, sending a 3 run line drive homer over the right field fence on a 1-1 count for the 4-nothing lead.
From that point on, both offenses went on hibernate as the likes Corradini for Rimini and the duo of De Santis and Panerati continued to put up zeros across the board. In the 9th the game came to an end when Corradini recorded his 27th out on a Malengo ground out to 3rd, stranding both Oeltjen and Sabbatani on base. Rimini’s win now puts them in front with the 3-2 series lead, with game 6 and the if necessary game 7 scheduled for next weekend in Bologna on Friday and Saturday.
