Curacao Neptunus 000 000 030 3 11 2 Unipol Bologna 200 030 00X 5 8 0
Unipol Bologna is one win away from claiming the European Champions Cup trophy. The reigning Italian champion won game one of the best-of-three final in Bologna on Thursday evening 5-3 against Dutch title holder Curacao Neptunus Rotterdam.
A quick 2-0 lead in the first and three insurance runs in the fifth gave Fortitudo the edge. Rotterdam tried to rally in the end, but a double play ended the comeback try and the game.
Rotterdam’s starter Orlando Yntema, who made his first appearance since pitching a second no-hitter in the 2015 season in his last Hoofdklasse outing, had command problems from the start. Juan Carlos Infante and Claudio Liverziani sandwiched a fly out by Francesco Fuzzi with a couple of walks.
After Cesar Suarez grounded out, Alessandro Vaglio hit a fly ball to third baseman Raily Legito. The ball dropped to the ground and Infante and Liverziani crossed the plate for a 2-0 Bologna advantage after the first.
In the fifth Fortitudo once again profited from Neptunus miscues. Fuzzi walked to lead off the frame. Liverziani followed with a groundball to third. Legito’s throw to second for the force was in time, but Benjamin Dille muffed the throw and everybody was safe. Kevin Kelly replaced Yntema and promptly gave up a three-run shot to Suarez to make it a five-run ball game.
Meanwhile Bologna’s starter Marquis Fleming was dealing, striking out nine batters in seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits and a walk. Filippo Crepaldi replaced him in the seventh. Following a Dwayne Kemp fly out, Dille and Legito singled before Gianison Boekhoudt went deep to cut the deficit to 3-5.
After a ground out and another single, Nick Pugliese took over and bailed Crepaldi out. He then also ran into trouble in the ninth, when the first two batters of Rotterdam reached base. But after a visit by the pitching coach he struck out Dwayne Kemp on three pitches and induced Dille into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
Both teams now will travel to Family Stadium in Rotterdam for games two and three on Saturday and Sunday at 7.30pm respective 12pm.
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Photo by Lorenzo Bellocchio/FIBS