Telemarket Rimini is the first team to qualify for the European Cup Final Four in Barcelona in September. They scored six runs in the sixth to crush local rivals T&A San Marino in the night game on Saturday, improving to 4-0. Earlier in the afternoon match the Hoboken Pioneers delivered a second big upset at the tournament with a shutout over DOOR Neptunus, which lost for the second time in four days. In the morning Savigny celebrated its first win against the Tenerife Marlins. San Marino, Hoboken and Neptunus will get a last shot of securing the second spot for Barcelona on Sunday.
Savigny Lions – Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz 6-0
MPC 000 000 000 0 5 1 SAV 005 000 01X 6 9 0
Behind a complete game shutout by Tim Stewart (W 1-0) the Savigny Lions defeated the Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz 6-0 at the European Cup in Rotterdam on Saturday. It was the first win during the tournament for the French vice champion and the third straight loss for the Marlins. Stewart allowed just five singles, three by Victor Lopez, through nine scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The Lions took the lead in the bottom of the third on a sac bunt by Christophe Goniot and a grand slam by Florian Peyrichou. They added the sixth run in the eighth on a dropped flyball in left field. Ivan Granados (L 0-1) gave up nine hits, six runs (5 ER) and a walk in eight innings. He also picked up seven strikeouts.
Hoboken Pioneers – DOOR Neptunus 1-0
NEP 000 000 000 0 8 1 HOB 001 000 00X 1 5 0
DOOR Neptunus has lost just once in 23 Hoofdklasse games this season so far. At the European Cup in Rotterdam they now already lost twice and are in danger of missing the Final Four in Barcelona. On Saturday afternoon the Hoboken Pioneers and Terence Antonacci (W 1-0) stunned the team of head coach Steve Janssen with a 1-0 shutout.
Steven De Lannoy drove in the lone run of the game with a double in the third. Antonacci held Neptunus to eight hits and two walks, pitching in and out of jams several times. Rotterdam left the bases loaded in the opening frame and had runners in second and third in the second and the seventh. Niels Harteveld (L 0-1) conceded four hits, a run and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Telemarket Rimini – T&A San Marino 15-6
SMA 111 003 000 6 12 2 RIM 110 036 04X 15 14 1
Telemarket Rimini booked its ticket to Barcelona with a 15-6 win over Italian Baseball League and local rival T&A San Marino at the Familie Stadion in Rotterdam on Saturday night. It was the expected close duel between two strong teams, although the Pirates blew things wide open in the end. After going back and forth Rimini decided the outcome with a six-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. Four more runs in the eighth sealed the blowout win.
The Titans led four times in the game, the last time after a two-run homerun by Tony Granato in the top of the sixth. Mario Chiarini went 2-for-4 with a homerun, a double, three runs and three RBI for Telemarket. Daniel Gonzalez also scored three times. Clinton Balgera and Lorenzo Avagnina combined for six RBI.
Jim Brower (W 1-0) gave up eight hits, six runs and five bb in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and needed 91 pitches to get into the sixth. Chris Di Roma (S1) came in and shut San Marino down for the remaining 3 1/3 frames. Tiago Da Silva (SMA) issued six hits, six runs (5 ER) and two bb in five-plus innings. Mattia Salsi (L 0-1) took the loss.
Schedule Rotterdam, June 6:
- 10am Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz – Hoboken Pioneers
- 2pm DOOR Neptunus – Telemarket Rimini
- 7pm T&A San Marino – Savigny Lions
Live play by play on CEB Website
Standings:
- Telemarket Rimini 4-0
- DOOR Neptunus 2-2
- Hoboken Pioneers 2-2
- T&A San Marino 2-2
- Savigny Lions 1-3
- Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz 1-3
