Team Italy Juniors fall short and place fourth in U18 European Championship

With a slim 2-1 lead over the Czech Republic going into the bottom of the eighth inning, it looked like the Team Italy Juniors would make the hometown crowd in Grosseto proud with a third place finish in the U18 European Baseball Championship. Instead the Czechs caught a break when a pair of infield errors coupled with a catcher's interference call led to a late three-run rally which put the Italians under pressure to come from behind. In the top of the ninth inning, Team Italy put runners on the basepaths and scored to cut the deficit down to one run. In the end, however, the Azzurri came up short and lost 4-3 to the Czech Republic. As a result, the Czechs (4-2) took home third place honors while the Italians (3-3) settled for fourth place in the 2018 U18 European Baseball Championship. The Netherlands (6-0) won the Euro title with a 6-3 victory over runner-up Spain (5-1).

Despite the end result, Team Italy starter Gabriele Dall'Agnese pitched like a winner during his seven innings of work. Both runs that crossed the plate while he was on the mound were unearned, and he dominated the Czechs with seven strikeouts. Reliever Tommaso Battioni took the loss but proved to be tough on hitters throughout the international tournament.

Team Italy offensive highlights included a 2-for-4 performance with a triple and two runs scored from shortstop Gabriele Angioi as well as a three-hit frenzy from both Daniel Monti and Marco Servidei. Hats off to the Azzurri Juniors squad for battling throughout Euro Championship competition, and special thanks to Team Italy U18 manager John Cortese along with coaches Rolando Cretis, Stefano Cappuccini, Gianmario Costa, and Gianluca Marenghi for their collaborative efforts in Grosseto. Forza #Italia! #LetsMakeItHappen 

by Roberto Angotti