Italian Softball League: Specchiasol Bussonengo repeats as Champions with Series Final sweep

Post date: Sep 30, 2016 5:27:26 AM

In a rematch from last season, Specchiasol Bussonengo repeats again as the Italian Softball League Champion. With three closely matched games, Bussonengo won all three games of the Championship Series against S.C. Forlì – a series which featured extra-innings and rain delays.

Bussolengo took Game 1 with a 3-1 victory behind strong pitching performances by Aimee Creger (win) and Lacey Waldrop (save).  A pitchers’ duel continued until the fifth when Bussolengo scored all three of their runs following back-to-back walks to start the inning. But with two outs, an error, a wild pitch, and an illegal pitch allowed the three runs to score.

Game 2 was suspended by rain in the 4th inning with the score 0-0 and the bases loaded, and had to be replayed. The make-up game was dominated by starting pitchers Lisa Birocci (Bussonengo) and Ilaria Cacciamani (Forlì). But a first inning run by Bussolengo would be all the scoring needed, when Megan Blank tripled and scored on an error on the play.

That set up the scintillating and emotional Game 3, which required extra innings to find a 2016 Champion.

Pitchers Emily Vincent (Forlì) and Waldrop (Bussonengo) kept the game scoreless through seven innings, sending the game to extra innings.  Bussolengo broke through immediately with a Blank single and an error, which led to two quick unearned runs.

In the bottom of the inning, needing two runs to keep their season alive, Forlì received two strikeouts and a flyball to left, which gave Waldrop the complete game shutout with thirteen strikeouts and Bussolengo with their second straight Italian Softball Series Championship.