The regular season in the Italian Softball League ended last Saturday and DES CASERTA, FIORINI FORLI, SANOTINT BOLLATE and EUROPROMO TITANO HORNETS advance into the playoffs. However before play continues in the postseason, the Italian National Team travels to Oklahoma City for the World Cup of Softball. The tournament starts on Thursday, July 16 with the clash between the European rivals Italy and Netherlands. Also in the event are Team USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. The classification games are scheduled for Monday, July 20. ESPN America will broadcast selected games from the 4th World Cup of Softball.
DES CASERTA closed out the preliminary phase with two shutouts against CASSA PADANA PARMA. In game one Chantal Millard went four-for-four with a homerun and five RBI in a 13-0 win. They opened the scoring with eight runs in the first period. In the second match Jennifer Davis and Lisa Birocci combined to allow just a single base runner on a walk in the fifth in a 7-0 shutout. Melissa Sanchez drove in four.
MOSCA MACERATA had hoped to reach the final four on the last game day. But the team had to settle for a split against FIORINI and remained in fifth place. In game one they scored a combined five runs in the fifth and sixth of an 8-6 win over last year’s champion. But FORLI got payback in game two thanks to seven two-hit innings by Leslie Malerich in a 6-0 shutout.
The HORNETS clinched the final berth with a split against MUSEO D’ARTE. In game one NUORO used a five-run third en route to a 9-2 win. Kaytlin Gentile hit two homeruns and drove in six, including a four on a grand slam. Tonya Callahan and Samantha Fleeman homered for the club from San Marino. In the second match EUROPROMO prevailed 6-4, thanks to three RBI by Bianca Novelli. Novelli and Callahan hit homeruns.
SANOTINT closed out the regular season with two losses against AMGA LEGNANO. In the first game the champion of 2007 took a fast 3-0 lead en route to a 4-2 victory. Francesca Rossini drove in two. In the second match Sonja Garnett allowed just two unearned runs on four hits and a walk in six solid innings to lead LEGNANO to a 12-2 win. Kate Judd hit the ball over the fence. Brooke Panepinto collected four hits and three runs.
Results July 11:
Museo D’Arte Nuoro – Europromo Titano Hornets 9-2 (6)
Museo D’Arte Nuoro – Europromo Titano Hornets 4-6
Fiorini Forli – Mosca Macerata 6-8
Fiorini Forli – Mosca Macerata 6-0
Cassa Padana Parma – Des Caserta 0-13 (5)
Cassa Padana Parma – Des Caserta 0-7 (5)
Sanotint Bollate – AMGA Legnano 2-4
Sanotint Bollate – AMGA Legnano 2-12 (6)
Final Standings Regular Season:
- Des Caserta 22-6
- Fiorini Forli 20-8
- Sanotint Bollate 16-12
- Europromo Titano Hornets 15-13
- Mosca Macerata 14-14
- AMGA Legnano 13-15
- Museo D’Arte Nuoro 10-18
- Cassa Padana Parma 2-26