Unipol Bologna 000 100 010 2 6 1 Curacao Neptunus 001 000 11X 3 4 1
Curacao Neptunus has tied the final series for the European Champions Cup at 1-1 with a 3-2 win over Unipol Bologna on Saturday evening at Family Stadium in Rotterdam. The decisive game three of the finals will be played on Sunday at 12pm, again in Rotterdam. Bologna had prevailed 5-3 in the first match on Thursday.
It was a close Saturday evening matchup in front of an official attendance of 1,600 between the two European Cup winners from June. It went back and forth with Bologna erasing a one-run deficit two times before Curacao Neptunus plated the game-winning run.
Rotterdam had the better start and took a 1-0 lead with a sac fly by Dwayne Kemp in the third. However Bologna answered right away, tying the game in the fourth, when Claudio Liverziani led off with a walk, moved to third on a bunt single by Cesar Suarez and then scored on a throwing error by catcher Gianison Boekhoudt.
In the seventh Cristian Diaz doubled down the left field line with one out, advanced to third on a ground out and put Curacao Neptunus back on the board when he crossed the plate on a wild pitch. But once again Fortitudo countered. Paolino Ambrosino walked to lead off the eighth, got moved forward with a sac bunt and scored on a single by Alex Russo to make it a 2-2 ball game.
However in the bottom of the frame this time Rotterdam took advantage of a leadoff walk. Urving Kemp worked a six-pitch base on balls. Two fly outs followed. Kemp then reached second on a single by Raily Legito. Boekhoudt stepped to the plate and hit a ground ball to second. However Alessandro Vaglio threw the ball away, allowing Kemp to score the go-ahead run. In the ninth Alex Sambucci singled with one out, but a fielder’s choice and a strikeout ended the frame and the game.
Loek van Mil, who had replaced Diegomar Markwell (7.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO) in the eighth, picked up the win in relief. Raul Rivero took the loss, conceding four hits, three runs (2 ER) and three walks in 7 2/3 innings.
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Photo by Lorenzo Bellocchio/FIBS