In a nail biter, L&D Amsterdam ended at the wrong side of the score. In a game in which the pitching on both sides wasn’t great, but good enough to keep the teams in the game, Parma struck in the eighth inning when it turned the tables and turned a Amsterdam lead into a lead for the Italian club. A lead that L&D Amsterdam Pirates could not overturn in the final two innings.
Parmaclima 7 – 6 L&D Amsterdam Pirates
Tonight’s game was exciting, as many things happened. It was a true promotion for 
baseball. L&D Pirates struck first when Denzel Richardson hit a two-run home run to left field. But Parmaclima bounced back immediately. Exequiel Augustin Talevi doubled to left center field and drove in two runs to tie the game.
In the top of the third, Manuel Marcelo Joseph Timo led off with a double and scored when Alberto Mineo hit into a 4-6-3 double play. By that time, starter Nelmerson Angela was replaced by reliever Jelle van der Lelie, who helped Pirates to get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Pirates regained the lead when Denzel Richardson hit a solo shot and Sicnarf Loopstok singled up the middle to drive in Sharlon Schoop and Kalian Sams.
In the following innings, Parma scored a run in the fifth, Pirates a run in the sixth, and Parma another one in the seventh.
Until then, the pitching staff of L&D Amsterdam Pirates hung on thanks to some duct tape and rubber bands to keep the team in the game. But then came this eighth inning.
Franklin van Gurp struggled to find the strike zone, but still managed to get two outs with runners on the corners. Then Manuel Marcelo Joseph Timo proved to be clutch again as he doubled down the left field line to drive in Aldo Koutsoyanopulos and Exequiel Agustin Talevi to hand Parma the lead. 
José Alexander Diaz Lezama earned the win. In two innings, he gave up an unearned run on a walk and struck out four. Marc-André Habeck earned the save, as he retired the final batter. Franklin van Gurp took the loss. In two innings, he gave up two runs on two hits and four walks and struck out four.
Best hitter for Parmaclima was Riccardo Flisi, who went 3 for 3.
By winning the championship game, Parmaclima repeats as European champion.
On the positive note for Dutch baseball, Curaçao Neptunus managed to salvage the second Dutch spot in the ECC today, as it beat the Heidenheim Heideköpfe 10-8 in the relegation game. The Bonn Capitals surprisingly beat T&A San Marino 6-3 to win the bronze medal.
This blog post is brought to you by
Dutch Baseball Hangout 