Baseball World Cup Round 3, Nettuno:
Puerto Rico – Canada 0-3
CAN 000 000 003 3 7 0 PUE 000 000 00X 0 1 0
Nick Bucci and three relievers combined to allow just one hit against Puerto Rico in a 3-0 win by Canada in Nettuno. 500 people were watching when Brett Lawrie put the maple leafs up in front in the top of the ninth with a solo homerun. Rene Tosoni added two more runs with a double a few batters later.
Bucci started and gave up only three walks in five innings, striking out two. After throwing 72 pitches he was replaced by Trystan Magnuson, who conceded the lone Puerto Rican hit of the night to former big leaguer Jose Valentin leading off the seventh. Dustin Molleken (W 1-0) and Jimmy Henderson (S 1) completed the one-hit shutout with scoreless frames.
Puerto Rican pitching matched the effort by the Canadians until Orlando Roman (L 0-1) and Melvin Pizarro couldn’t come through. Mario Santiago started and issued two hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Puerto Rico (2-2) will take on long-time rival USA on Wednesday. Canada (2-2) faces Venezuela (0-4).
500 people? Wake up, Italy!
Wake up Italy ??? I’d say wake up Europe and realize baseball is game-over in Italy. Yesterday 170 people in Florence to watch for the first time team USA, 300 people in Grosseto for the big match CUBA vs AUSTRALIA and 350 in Messina (big time baseball was missing from Sicily from a decade).