Softball: Italy falls at the last gasp against Canada
Italy-Canada 4-5
After the clear knockout against the United States, Italy Softball also fell on the best of terms with Canada. After a thrilling duel, the North American team won the match 5-4, gaining access to the Super Round that will assign the medals of this edition of the Women’s World Cup.
As happened in the debut match against the USA, Federico Pizzolini chose to entrust the ball of the match to Alice Nicolini, while Canada fielded Dawn Bodrug in a relay that included the alternation of Morgan Rackel and Sara Groenewegen. The first team to unlock the result è Italy, formally the visiting team, with a double by Elisa Cecchetti that brought home Filler and ignited the crowd in the stands. The back-and-forth began immediately as, in the bottom of the same inning, Canada took the lead with a single by Zoe Hicks that pushed two runners to score. Nicolini and the Azzurri defense came out forò without further damage and put the lead back in the following attack with a sacrifice fly – with a hit in foul territory to right – by Filler and a powerful double by Marta Gasparotto for the 3-2 Italy.
Nicolini struck out six at the turn of the second and fourth frames, while in the fourth inning Bodrug was taken over by Rackel who was greeted by a double by Giulia Longhi, from which, però the Italian offense failed to produce points. In the same inning, Canada tied the game thanks to a base on ball and two singles that made it 3-3.
In the fifth inning Italy has a golden opportunity: Piancastelli and Filler, with two singles, stand in the corners with one out on the scoreboard and the Azzurre attempt a squeeze play that però fails and Piancastelli is struck out in the lane between third and home plate. With two bases on ball Italy tries to build a dangerous situation again by filling the bases, but the infield fly raised by Longhi leaves three runners on base. By the end of the game there will be nine total.
Canada would also have its chances, but a timely relief by Alexia Lacatena in Nicolini's tired moment allows Italy to maintain the tie despite a Canadian runner on third base with only one out. In the sixth frame, the challenge seemed to be definitively heading toward the Azzurre: Sheldon reached base save on a defensive error and the flawless continuation of the softball textbook action (bunt by Koutsoyanopulos, single by Dayton) brought the runner first to third base and then later to score on contact by Piancastelli poorly defended by the Canadian first baseman. Italy, despite leaving two runners on base, seemed in control of the challenge limiting Canada's sixth strike to a harmless hit batter.
In the seventh, Groenewegen entered the box for Canada and silenced the Italian bats, projected to the decisive bottom of the same inning that for the Azzurre began in the worst possible way: Pilgrim and Franklin hit two singles on the first two pitches of Lacatena’s comeback, who took the hit and, after a crazy pitch that advanced both runners, cashed Leung’s valid that brought the situation to parity and pushed the point of victory, represented by Larissa Franklin, on the third base bag with zero out. The next batter, CC Wong, impinges toward right a throw on which Piancastelli commits an error and allows the Canadian runner to race home to score the final 5-4.
Italy Softball will return to the field Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. against Puerto Rico in the first engagement of the Placement Round, the one that will determine the positions from fifth to eighth. Live on Sky Sports Arena (channel 204) and streaming on Now. Also broadcast on Sky screens will be the Super Round match between the United States and Japan, 11 a.m., also on Sky Sport Arena and streaming on Now.
