The 2024 Honkbalweek Haarlem continued as the international tournament held a game between two winless teams looking to get on the board. Spain took on Italy in a game that was close for its majority but blew open at the end as Italy defeated Spain 10-3.
Italy started Gabriele Quattrini, star pitcher for the Macerata Angels in the Italian Baseball League, and he did not disappoint. He threw 6.2 innings, only allowing two earned runs, fanning four in the process. He dueled against southpaw Jorge Balboa, who pitched 5.1 innings for Spain but allowed four runs.
Spain scored in the first inning via an Edison Valerio single, bringing in Leopoldo Correa to put the Spanish up 1-0. Italy answered with two of their own at the top of the second as Samuele Gamberini smashed a two-run homer. Spain tied it up in the bottom of the second, but Italy kept hammering it on, scoring another two runs to put them up 4-2 after 3.
The pitchers would reign it under control, and neither team would score until Italy put up a 3-run spot in the top of the seventh. Spain replied with one run of their own, but the Italians scored another three runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach for Spain. Italy would get their outs in the 9th to get their first win of Haarlem Honkbalweek.
In addition to Quattrini and Gamberini, key players for the Italians include Nathanael Manoly Batista de Jesus, who went 2-3 with a home run, Filippo Agretti, who had a 3-RBI double in the seventh, Jesus Carrera, who had two hits and 2 RBIs, and Alex Bassani, who finished the game for Italy.
Spain is still winless in the Netherlands, and Italy hopes to move forward with pride and momentum after a promising offensive performance.
Follow World Baseball Network for great coverage of the Honkbalweek Haarlem event with us for the entire event, and watch along at honkball.tv.
Photo Credit: Haarlem Honkbalweek (Renata Jansen)
