UnipolSai Bologna crushes ParmaClima 14-1 in Italian Baseball Series opener

The hometown Bolognese crowd took delight in UnipolSai Bologna's 14-1 win over ParmaClima at Bologna's Stadio "Gianni Falchi" in the first game of the best-of-five Italian Baseball Series on August 31, 2018. Bologna winning pitcher Jorge Martinez dominated in his 5.2 innings of work by limiting Parma to just one earned run and striking out six hitters. Relievers Antonio Noguera and Filippo Crepaldi combined to keep ParmaClima off the board for the remainder of the game. 

The explosive Bologna offense struck early in the bottom of the first inning when Jose Flores doubled off Parma losing pitcher Michele Pomponi and later scored on an RBI single by Giuseppe Mazzanti. UnipolSai Bologna came back for two more runs in the bottom of the second after leadoff hitter Alessandro Vaglio walked and Beau Maggi homered to right field. Trailing 3-0 in the top of the third inning, it appeared ParmaClima was ready to rally after back-to-back singles from Segundo Paolini and Alessandro Deotto. Aldo Koutsoyanopulos came through in the clutch with his RBI single to right field to make it a 3-1 game; however both he and Alessandro Deotto were left stranded on the bases without scoring. The relentless Bologna offense answered with two runs in the bottom of the third inning to pad its 5-1 lead.

After being intentionally walked in his first at-bat and flying out in his second plate appearance, UnipolSai Bologna cleanup hitter Osman Marval got his pitch and blasted a home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning. After walking Giuseppe Mazzanti, ParmaClima manager Gianguido Poma had seen enough and summoned relief pitcher Jose Escalona, who escaped any further damage by inducing an inning-ending double play. The reliever kept the Bologna bats quiet until the bottom of the seventh inning when he surrendered five runs. The UnipolSai Bologna offensive fury was highlighted by a two-run double from Kevin Moesquit and a three-run homer by Osman Marval.

With the game out of reach 11-1, ParmaClima relievers Lorenzo Gradali and Paolini Segundo were assigned mop-up duty. Bologna scored three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to nail the coffin shut 14-1. Despite only scoring one run, ParmaClima's Aldo Koutsoyanopulos, Alex Sambucci, Segundo Paolini, and Alessandro Deotto all had two hits. Nick Nosti, Kevin Moesquit, and Osman Marval also notched two hits in the contest for UnipolSai Bologna. Both teams return for game two at Stadio "Gianni Falchi" in Bologna on September 1 at 2:30 pm (EDT). Catch the live stream at Forza #Italia! #LetsMakeItHappen

by Roberto Angotti