After the unsuccessful European Champions Cup, Unipol Bologna lost its first game back in the playoffs of the Italian Baseball League. T&A San Marino defeated the defending champion 7-3 on Thursday evening. Five runs in the third not only chased Marquis Fleming (2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 SO) from the game, but also gave San Marino an early 6-0 advantage en route to the victory. Carlos Duran (SMA) and Paolino Ambrosino (BOL) went deep. Joe Mazzuca collected three hits for T&A. Rodney Rodriguez pitched 5 2/3 solid innings for the win. Salomon Marinez saved the Fortitudo bullpen with 4 1/3 strong innings in relief.
Meanwhile Tommasin Padua stunned ASD Rimini with a 3-2 victory. It was just their second win in the playoffs, while Rimini dropped to 5-5. They are now trailing San Marino (6-4) by one game in the standings. Bologna still is in first at 7-3. Padua first erased a 0-1 deficit in the bottom of the eighth and then won the extra-inning 2-1. A RBI single by Giuseppe Mazzanti put Rimini ahead in the top of the tenth. However Luis Alvarez, who already had tied the game with a double in the eighth, did the same to make it 2-2. Pinch hitter Massimiliano Sartori followed two batters later with the game winning walk-off single. Enrique Gonzalez earned the win. Victor Moreno got charged with the loss.