WITH TWO SUCCESSES ON THE ARES, PIACENZA SHAKES OUT THE PLAY-OUTS AND WRINKS THE EYE AT THE PLAY-OFFS – Another pulsating Sunday for Piacenza Baseball which has now accustomed us to great emotions. At Centro Saini in Milan the red and white beat Ares twice: in game 1 after risking a sensational comeback (8-6), in the match in the first extra inning (10-9). The results of the day put Marenghi’s team definitively safe from the play-outs. Indeed, by beating Fossano twice in the last round, they could still hope to grab the play-offs at the last minute.
STATION 1 – In the first meeting Piacenza is slow to fuel. The first five innings give the hosts three points with ours who manage twice with as many double plays but leave the runner on third base three times. The first stroke at the 6th with the point that is built from the textbook: single by Minoia, sacrifice bunt by Calderon, providential crazy throw and work completed by Schiavoni with a sacrifice sprint in the right field (3-1). It is only the appetizer because the fireworks start in the next attack. The red and white line-up is literally unleashed with a crescendo that starting from the singles of Gardenghi, Molina, Chacon, Minoia and Calderon reaches the double of Schiavoni and the triple (the second of the match) of Gibson. 7-3 and a victory apparently in his pocket but not for Piacenza this year, too often guilty of wasting important margins. And at the change of the pitch there is a serious risk of combining the omelette: Cufrè opens with a hit and, after the first elimination, allows four hits to the Lombards who arrive dangerously at 7-6. Carnevale, climbed as a final relief, blocks the tie point in third with a strike-out that is worth it. There remains the last inning that Piacenza manages to best manage with Minoia’s 8-6 point (single, stolen and error) and then the sure closure of a cold Carnival capable of removing the first base from the opponent’s view. It deservedly ends 8-6 but with a dose of chills that were best avoided.
PIACENZA 0-0-0-0-0-1-6-0-1 8
ARES 0-1-0-2-0-0-0-3-0 6
Formation: Chacon ss, Minoia ec, Calderon es, Schiavoni 3b / ed, Gibson 1b, Perez 2b, Gardenghi ric, Contardi es (Molin, Carnevale lan), Casana dh (Cufrè 3b). Launchers: Cufrè (rl7.2 bv11 bb0 k3 pgl6), Carnevale (rl1.1 bv0 bb0 k3 pgl0).
STATION 2 – If in the morning the emotions were not lacking, in the afternoon the nerves remain constantly on the surface of the skin. It is clear that our team are expecting the brace that has been missing for a while but Ares is not there and a heart-pounding match comes out that Piacenza saves in extra time after having risked throwing everything to the wind in 9th. Starting from the beginning, Ares breaks the ice at 1st (1-0), Piacenza draws immediately (Calderon beats Chacon to point). It is a question and answer because at the next 3 Milanese points the red and white respond with three home bases generated by the bases granted to Gibson and Perez capitalized by the sprint of Cufrè and the hits of Molina and Gardenghi (4-4). Marenghi’s boys find a taste for it and try to reach the goal by scoring continuously in the second half of the match. From 5th to 9th the valid are only four but they are worth 5 points as they are accompanied by an aggressive attitude on the bases and, it must be acknowledged, by a couple of heavy errors of Ares.
Thus we arrive at the last defense on 9-5 and as expected, the worst version of Piacenza is served. Dall’Agnese, close to the complete game, starts well with an out but disunites due to an error granting three hits. The defense for his part does not assist him and with another mistake forces him to leave the mound to Nodari who, thanks to a sequence of unfortunate circumstances, can finally set foot on the field only in the penultimate round of the championship. With him immediately the out that was needed but in the meantime Ares thanks for the 4 points that lead him to a draw (9-9) and to the tie-break. At extra time Chacon, with two outs, catches the single who makes Cufrè fly to home base for 10-9 that Nodari will masterfully protect despite his second-hand assistance to be forgotten, fortunately remedied by the defense. Ares are thus the only opponents who make Piacenza rejoice four times in the regular season and on Sunday, with two victories over Fossano and a pinch of good luck from the other diamonds, they could also miss the qualification for the play-offs.
PIACENZA 0-0-1-3-1-2-0-1-1-1 10
ARES 1-0-3-0-0-1-0-0-4-0 9
Formation: Chacon ss, Minoia ec, Calderon es, Schiavoni ed, Gibson 1b, Cufrè 3b, Perez 2b, Molina dh, Gardenghi ric. Launchers: Dall’Agnese (rl8.2 bv12 bb1 k4 pgl5), Nodari (rl1.1 bv0 bb0 k0 pgl0).
CLASSIFICATION: Codogno 692 (26-18-8), Milan 615 (26-16-10), Catalana Alghero 538 (26-14-12), Avigliana and Piacenza 500 (26-13-13), Ares Milano 440 (25- 11-14), Fossano 360 (25-9-16), Junior Parma 346 (26-9-17).
