2022 European Champions Cup: A Dutch-Italian Final Tomorrow.

The second semi-final of today ended in a victory for Parmaclima. In a close game, they beat the Bonn Capitals in the tie-break and will take on L&D Amsterdam Pirates in the championship game tomorrow.

Tonight’s semi-final was a rematch of last year’s final. Also this time, the Italians walked off as the victor. In the first five innings, it looked like Parma would cruise to the win. In the first inning, the Italians scored two runs. With a runner on second, Manuel Marcelo Joseph Timo homered to center field. Parma’s thrid run was scored in the second inning. After Alex Sambucci was hit by a pitch, Alberto Mineo doubled to right field and Sambucci advanced to third. But thanks to an error by the German right fielder, Sambucci could touch home plate. Another solo home run, this time by Exequiel Augustin Talevi in the fourth inning, put Parma in the drivers seat. But with two big blows, Bonn tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. After Ricardo Migliore drew a walk, Nicholas Michale Micelli hit a home run to cut Parma’s lead in half. After Eric Brenk also drew a walk, Lee Wilson took a big hack and drove the ball over the center field wall to tie the game.
In the following four innings nothing much happened, so the game went into extra innings.
With runners placed on first and second, Exequiel Augustin Talevi laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners into scoring position. A sac fly and a single drove in two runs for Parma. In Bonn’s part of the tenth inning, Nicholas Michale Micelli bunted over the two runners, which is remarkable as Bonn is a team that is having problems with bunting. Anyhow, Eric Brenk followed with a double to left center field and drove in only one run. Collin Uzoewulu didn’t get past third base. And that was where the offense of the Capitals got stuck. Carlos Manuel Contreras Abreu was the winning pitcher. He pitched two innings, in which he allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk, and struck out seven. Zackry Don Dodson took the loss. In three innings, he allowed two unearned runs on one hit and a walk, and struck out three.
Exequiel Augustin Talevi was the best hitter for Parmaclima. The Argentinian went 3 for 4 with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored.