Italy's baseball squad has pulled off a stunning feat, advancing to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic for the first time by defeating Puerto Rico 8-6. This victory has sparked disbelief among Italian sports fans, who are more accustomed to their soccer triumphs.
The game kicked off with a jolt as Puerto Rico's Willi Castro, a former Cub, smashed a solo home run right out of the gate. But Italy's pitcher, Sam Aldegheri, quickly regained control, retiring the next three batters.
Italy wasted no time responding, as they pounced on Puerto Rico's starter Seth Lugo. After two walks, Vinnie Pasquantino tied it up with an RBI single, and the momentum shifted.
Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone followed with singles, pushing Italy ahead 3-1. J.J.
D’Orazio's sacrifice fly extended the lead to 4-1.
Puerto Rico clawed back a run in the second inning, but Italy's manager, Francisco Cervelli, made a savvy pitching change, bringing in Alek Jacob. Despite a shaky start, Jacob shut down Puerto Rico's rally.
Italy widened the gap in the fourth inning. Andrew Fischer, a promising Brewers draft pick, doubled home two runs, aided by some fan interference.
J.J. D’Orazio continued his stellar performance, driving in two more with back-to-back doubles, putting Italy up 8-2.
The Italian bullpen faced a tense moment as Puerto Rico mounted a comeback. Dylan DeLucia delivered four scoreless innings, but Matt Festa struggled in the eighth, loading the bases. Joe La Sorsa stepped in, trading a groundout for a run, but then allowed two more runs on a wild pitch and a single by Christian Vázquez.
With the score tightened to 8-6, closer Greg Weissert took the mound. He navigated through a single and retired the next three batters, sealing Italy's historic win.
In another upset, Venezuela ousted three-time champion Japan with an 8-5 victory. Wilyer Abreu's three-run homer in the sixth inning was the game's turning point, giving Venezuela a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Andrés Machado and Daniel Palencia shut down Japan's late threats, ensuring Venezuela's first semifinals appearance since 2009.
Italy is set to face Venezuela in the semifinals on Monday at 7 p.m. CT, while Team USA will clash with the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Both matchups promise to be thrilling, with fans eagerly anticipating the action on FS1.