2022 Italian Series

The 2022 Italian Series featured the defending champion ASD San Marino Titans versus the ParmaClima Parma Angels, which had last made the finals in their champion season of 2010. The event included players who had represented France, Croatia, Spain, Brazil, Greece, Curaçao, the Netherlands and Argentina as well as Italy in international tournaments. Games were set for seven innings in line with new Serie A1 rules.

Parma

Parma was managed by Gianguido Poma and was 14-0 in the first round, 21-9 in the second and then edged Bologna 4 games to 3 in the semifinals. Parma's offense was led by SS Manuel Joseph (.357/.468/.565), RF/2B Noel González (.383/.462/.543, 15 2B) and C Alberto Mineo (.324/.436/.527), who finished second in the league with 7 homers. The pitching ace was Emailin Montilla, who finished second in the league in wins (10-1, 1.46) while Marc-André Habeck (7-1, 2.09) and former major leaguer Carlos Contreras (3-1, 1.88, 67 K in 38 1/3 IP) anchored the bullpen. The #2 starter was Jose Diaz (5-3, 2.87).

ASD San Marino

ASD San Marino was guided once again by Doriano Bindi. They were 13-1 in the first round, 24-6 in the second and 4-1 in the semifinals. C Gabriel Lino (.357/.458/.620) led the 2022 Serie A1 with eight dingers, while 2B Oscar Angulo (.358/.468/.572, 17 2B), CF Federico Celli (.353/.462/.547, 17 2B, 51 R) and DH/RF Ortwin Pieternella Jr. (.330/.400/.606) all had OPSes over 1000 as well. Carlos Quevedo (8-1, 1.51, 117 K in 83 1/3 IP) and Gabriele Quattrini (10-1, 1.87) were their aces, Quattrini trying for second in the league in wins. Eduardo Peluso (4-0, 2.29), Fernando Baez (5-2, 2.45) and ERA leader Dimitri Kourtis (2-0, 0.40) gave them a strong relief corps.

Games

• September 1: San Marino 3, Parma 1. In a matchup of Venezuelan natives, Henry Centeno (3 H, 1 R in 6 IP) matches Diaz (2 H, 1 R in 5 IP) well. In the bottom of the 6th, 3B Leo Ferrini draws a walk from Contreras, 2B Angulo singles and C Lino doubles them both in. Kourtis strikes out the side (1B Cesare Astorri, 3B Leo Rodríguez and 2B Exequiel Talevi) to save it for Centeno.
• September 2: Parma 13, San Marino 4. The Angels come back with explosive days from LF Stefano De Simoni (4 H, 3 R), SS Joseph (3 R, 3 RBI), RF González (4 for 4, 5 RBI) and DH Riccardo Flisi (3 for 3) to make a winner of Mattia Aldegheri and tie the Series. Tiago Da Silva takes the loss.
• September 5: San Marino 1, Parma 0. San Marino's hurlers were back in control as Kourtis and Baez combined on a one-hitter, González getting Parma's lone hit. Luis Lugo matched Kourtis goose egg for goose egg for five. Habeck took over in the 6th. In the 7th, 1B Jesús Ustariz walked, advanced on a bunt and a grounder and scored on a hit by DH Pieternella.
• September 6: Parma 2, San Marino 1. Parma tied things back up as Montilla allowed three hits and one run in six and Diaz saved it. It was 1-1 into the bottom of the 7th when SS Talevi hit a one-out single off Centeno, advanced on an error and scored on a hit by C Mineo.
• September 7: San Marino 10, Parma 4. The back-and-forth trend continues with San Marino again taking the lead. RF Nathanael Batista had three doubles and three RBI, while C Lino and DH Luca Pulzetti each had three hits as well as part of a 15-hit parade. Da Silva got the win, Quattrini the save and Diego Fabiani the loss. C Mineo drove in three in a losing cause while González had three hits.
• September 10: Parma 2, San Marino 1. The roller coaster goes on as Parma ties the Series for the third time, Kourtis finally giving a run. In the third, CF Aldo Koutsoyanopulos and LF De Simoni single for Parma and a sac fly by C Mineo scores Koutsoyanopulos. They got necessary insurance in the 4th when 3B Rodríguez walked, advanced on a grounder and scored on a hit by SS Tommaso Battioni, the #9 hitter. Lugo and Habeck held San Marino to three hits to force game 7; San Marino's lone run comes in the bottom of the 4th when 3B Ferrini walked and raced home on a single by 2B Angulo.
• September 11: San Marino 2, Parma 1. The trend of alternating victories continues down to the final game, the fourth one-run game of the Series and an extra-inning affair to boot! Centeno blanked Parma for the seven regulation innings but was matched by Montilla (5 IP) and Contreras (2 IP). In the top of the 8th, Quevedo relieved Centeno and allowed a two-out homer to RF González to put Parma ahead. San Marino, down to their last chance, came back. Contreras plunked RF Batista, then 3B Ferrini bunted him over and 2B Angulo walked. C Lino singled to tie it. Diaz relieved Contreras and retired CF Celli but 1B Ustariz walked to load the bases. LF Dudley Leonora hit into a force to end the rally. DH Astorri doubled and moved to third in the 9th but was stranded, the last rally against Quevedo, who worked five relief innings for the win. Habeck took over for Diaz and shut out San Marino from the 9th through the 11th. In the bottom of the 12th, SS Erick Epifano and Batista both singled and Ferrini laid down another sacrifice. Habeck intentionally walked Angulo, bringing up Lino, who again singled in a run, this time the winning blow. Lino won Series MVP.

Sources

• Italian Baseball and Softball Federation
• Marco Stoovelaar's Dutch baseball news (also covering other baseball events)