Yearbook 1, 2012|Let‟s make baseball a more universal game. (Coming from page 48)
was all Cooper and his bullpen needed, as he, Iván Granados (Venezuela) and Tiago Da Silva (Brazil) combined on a multinational 5-hit shutout. Rimini got their only runner as far as 3rd in the 8th inning when SS Jack Santora walked, advanced on a wild pitch by Granados and took third on an error by C Mattia Reginato but was stranded. August 16: San Marino 7, Rimini 3. San Marino went up 3 games to 0. Rimini went ahead first, with two firstinning runs off Tiago Da Silva. SS Jack Santora laid down a bunt hit and 3B Joe Mazzuca made an error on the play. 3B Luis Maza bunted Santora over then 2B Joe Persichina singled him in. RF Mario Chiarini grounded Persichina to second and DH Max De Biase singled in the run to make it 2-0. Da Silva would allow only 3 hits and one run in the next 8 innings, though.
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August 18: Rimini 8, San Marino 2. Rimini won a second straight, this time in less dramatic fashion. In the top of the first, San Marino got their only runs. SS Daniel Bittar led off with a single off Sandy Patrone. Bittar stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came around on a triple by LF Lorenzo Avagnina. Another wild pitch brought Avagnina in. Rimini would retire 27 more San Marino players without giving up another run, with another excellent bullpen outing, as Mark DiFelice and Enorbel Márquez combined for 6 2/3 shutout innings with 3 hits.
Rimini went ahead for good in the bottom of the opening inning against Chris Cooper. SS Jack Santora singled and RF Mario Chiarini walked. 2B Joe Persichina bunted into an error by 3B Joe Mazzuca. After an out, DH Max De Biase slugged a 3-run homer. De Biase would finish 2 for 2 with two walks and the 3 RBI, while Chiarini would score 3 times in the win. August 24: San Marino 5, Rimini 4. In front of 2,000 In the 4th, San Marino began their comeback against home fans, San Marino defended their title behind a Roberto Corradini. Mazzuca hit a one-out double; an superstar effort from 2B Francesco Imperiali, their #7 out later, 2B Francesco Imperiali singled him in. In the batter. fifth, San Marino took the lead. SS Daniel Bittar and LF Lorenzo Avagnina hit back-to-back singles. CF Carlos Rimini came close to scoring in the second off Tiago Da Duran hit into an error by Santora, scoring Bittar. After Silva. DH Max De Biase led off with a double and C a passed ball by C Juan Pablo Angrisano, DH Jairo Juan Pablo Angrisano singled in a series of at-bats feaRamos Gizzi hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. 1B Marco turing two Argentinians against a Brazilian, some of the Yepez then singled in Duran. best South America (outside Venezuela) had to offer Rimini closed the gap to one in the 7th when Da Silva baseball in 2012. LF Riccardo Suardi grounded to 3B plunked Angrisano and 1B Giuseppe Spinelli hit a one- Joe Mazzuca, who threw home to get De Biase. Suardi out RBI double. In the 8th, though, San Marino built was then caught stealing by C Simone Albanese to end their lead further. Imperiali led off with a double off that threat. Carlos Pezzullo. Sandy Patrone relieved but did not fare In the bottom of the second, San Marino got to work well. C Simone Albanese greeted him with a bunt single. against Roberto Corradini. RF Carlos Duran singled. Bittar grounded to Sahntora, who threw home to retire With one out, 40-year-old CF Laidel Chapellí did the Imperiali. Avagnina, who already had 3 hits, reached on same. After a passed ball by Angrisano, Imperiali a force at second. Duran then slammed a 3-run homer smacked a 3-run homer. They got insurance in the 6th. to put it out of reach, 7-3. 1B Marco Yepez singled, knocking out Corradini. Carlos August 17: Rimini 3, San Marino 2. With their backs to Pezzullo relieved and allowed a single to DH Jairo the wall, Rimini stayed alive with a come-from-behind, Ramos Gizzi, sending Yepez to third. Duran then hit a extra-inning win. In the first, San Marino scored off sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead. Marcos Tabata when DH Jairo Ramos Gizzi singled in CF Carlos Duran. In the 6th, old-timer Ramos Gizzi Rimini tied it with a big 7th. Angrisano grounded into went deep for a 2-0 lead, knocking out Tabata. Fran- an error by Mazzuca, then the next three batters (hitters cisco Cruceta and Enorbel Márquez would toss shutout 7 through 9 in the order) singled: Suardi, 1B Giuseppe ball over the next six innings for Rimini, fanning 9 Spinelli and CF Brandon Chaves. That makde it 4-2. SS while allowing only 3 hits. Jack Santora bunted the runners over, then 2B Joe Persichina hit a 2-run single to right to tie the game. DeIn the bottom of the 6th, Rimini finally got to Rodney spite the rally, San Marino struck with Da Silva, who Rodriguez as RF Mario Chiarini and DH Max De Biase allowed no more runs. For the day, he gave up 12 hits, 3 hit back-to-back singles. Darwin Cubillan relieved but of them to RF Mario Chiarini. served up a 2-run double to LF Riccardo Suardi with With the game still even at four in the bottom of the one out to tie it. Things remained deadlocked until the 9th, Chapellí singled off Pezzullo. Sandy Patrone was bottom of the 11th. Rimini C Juan Pablo Angrisano hit summoned from the bullpen, but the move backfired into an error by SS Daniel Bittar. Suardi singled and Yulman Ribeiro relieved Cubillan. 1B Giuseppe Spinelli when Imperiali greeted him with a RBI double to end bunted into an error by 1B Marco Yepez, then CF the Series. Filippo Crociati hit a grounder to Santora, who threw Taken from http://baseball-reference.com home to get Angrisano. SS Jack Santora singled in Suardi to keep Rimini's hopes alive.