Compiled from a release issued by the Italian Baseball & Softball Federation (FIBS), translated into English
The Group A team won the Serie A Gold Baseball All-Star Game. Manager Saccardi’s team defeated manager Biagini’s team 1-0 and, as per the Competitive Activities Circular from the beginning of the year, gives Group A teams home field advantage in the championship finals of the top Italian baseball league.
On the evening of Tuesday, June 23, the Serie A Gold Baseball All-Star Game was played at the “Giorgio Caselli” stadium in Reggio Emilia, ten years after the last edition . After the opening pitches by Reggio Emilia’s Mayor Marco Massari and Italy Softball pitcher Christina Toniolo and the national anthem sung by mezzo-soprano Grazia Gira , the following teams took the field:
Group A (Blue Italy): Angioi (SS), Batista (LF), Gonzalez (RF), Garcia (2B), Gamberini (DH), Mineo (C), Celli (CF), Annunziata (1B), Zazza (3B), Scotti (P)
Group B (White Italy) : Guevara (CF), Paolini (2B), Morresi (SS), Ordonez (DH), Fabrizio (C), Martini (1B), Rodriguez E. (3B), Carrera (RF), Sellaroli (LF), Madan (P)
In front of a large crowd, the two pitching mounds engaged in a thrilling duel, limiting the opposing team’s attacks in the first four innings, keeping the score tied at 0-0. The Group A team broke the deadlock in the top half of the fifth inning, with Celli’s opposite-field triple and Annunziata’s fly ball to center giving Saccardi’s team a 1-0 lead. The Group B team struggled particularly against the opposing mound, lacking consistency in the box, hitting only four hits, and failing to recover from the run they had conceded, losing the All-Star Game and home-field advantage in the championship finals to Group A. During the nine innings, several events were held to entertain the crowd in the stands of the Reggio Emilia facility, including a reimagining of the classic seventh-inning stretch performed by the event’s host, Antonella Lo Coco.
Click here to view the box score
Photo: The two teams that took to the field are pictured (Credit: Corrado Benedetti)
