Group B: Italy – France
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Italy blew a 3-0 lead, but still prevailed 6-3 over France in a matchup of day-one winners in Group B at the European Championship in Hoofddorp on Saturday afternoon. Italy built up a quick lead, but France tied the game in the sixth. However the Squadra Azzurri answered right away and secured the win.
Alessandro Vaglio hit a solo home run in the second inning to give Italy the lead. Vaglio would score three more times in the game. In the fourth he crossed the plate through a sac fly by Marco Sabbatani. In the sixth Sabbatani drove him in with a single, as Italy regained the lead. In the seventh Erik Epifano collected a RBI single, when Vaglio raced home. In between Sebastiano Poma had scored for Italy on a RBI single by Giuseppe Mazzanti and Sabbatani scored on a single by Poma.
France threatened to hand Italy a surprise loss, when Rene Leveret and Frederic Hanvi tied the game through a two-run double and a RBI single in the top of the sixth. However despite putting a runner on second base through doubles in the seventh, eighth and ninth, they didn’t score again.
Tiago Da Silva picked up the win by striking out five in two scoreless innings of relief. Luca Panerati threw 5 1/3 strong innings to start the game, but Carlos Teran relieved him and blew the lead, taking the win from Panerati away.
French starter Owen Ozanich gave up three hits, two runs and four walks in three innings and then left due to elbow discomfort. Maxim Monbeig pitched two scoreless inning, but lost the rhythm in the sixth and took the loss.
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Photo by FIBS