Both starting pitchers had a strong outing tonight.
Diegomar Markwell gave up only three hits in 7 1/3 inning, while striking out six batters.
Neptunus got four hits in 7 2/3 inning off of Venezuelan righthander Raul José Rivero, who pitched seven seasons in the minor league for the Baltimore Orioles (2005-2011).
Diegomar Markwell retired the side in the first inning, but Bologna threatened to score in the next at bat.
César Javier Suárez Vezga led off with a single, but was forced out on a grounder by Alessandro Vaglio.
Moments later, Markwell picked off Vaglio, then walked Alex Sambucci.
Next batter Paolino Ambrosino then drove the ball into deep centerfield.
That would probably have moved Sambucci to third base when the ball would have dropped, or he maybe even might have scored.
However, centerfielder Shaldimar Daantji sprinted backwards and caught the ball to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, Christian Diaz walked for Neptunus with one out.
After a strikeout accounted for the second out, Bologna-starter Raul Rivero appeared to be successful with a pick-off at first base.
However, German umpire Christian Posny ruled Diaz safe, but he was then forced out on second base on a following grounder to end the inning.
After Bologna stranded another runner in the top of the third inning, Neptunus opened the score in its third at bat.
Neptunus, which was outhit 6-4, opened the score tonight in front of 1600 spectators at the Neptunus Familiestadion in Rotterdam.
Shaldimar Daantji led off with a double, moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Urving Kemp, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Dwayne Kemp to give Neptunus an early lead.
Benjamin Dille followed with a bunt-single, but then rightfielder Claudio Liverziani made a great sliding catch on a drive by Raily Legito to close this at bat.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Italians came alongside via an error.
First, veteran Claudio Liverziani led off with a walk.
Next, César Javier Suárez Vezga placed a bunt-single that brought Liverziani to third base.
When a throwing error followed, it enabled Liverziani to continue running and score the tying run.
Shortly hereafter, Suárez was caught stealing after a pick-off by Markwell, who then closed the inning with a strikeout.
Rivero retired the side in the bottom of the fourth, which also had a painful moment for Slovakian Home Plate Umpire Mojmir Jankovic.
With two outs, he was hit in a sensitive spot by a foul ball by Stijn van der Meer, who later grounded out.
Markwell retired the side in the fifth and sixth inning, including three strikeouts.
In the seventh, he walked Alessandro Vaglio with one out, but then Alex Sambucci flied into a double play.
Neptunus also was retired in order in the fifth and sixth at bat by Rivero, but the home team then re-took the lead in the seventh.
With one out, Christian Diaz doubled down the leftfield-line, just out of reach of diving third baseman Suárez.
Diaz then moved to third base on a grounder by Stijn van der Meer and scored on a wild pitch to put Neptunus ahead, 2-1.
After Bologna was held scoreless in three innings, the Italians tied the score again in the top of the eighth.
Markwell walked lead-off hitter Paolino Ambrosino, who then moved on a sacrifice bunt by Marco Sabbatani.
This led to a pitching change, as Loek van Mil took over for Markwell.
But on his first delivery, the tall righthander was greeted with a runscoring single by Eladio Russo that made it 2-2.
A strikeout for powerhitter Juan Carlos Infante followed, but Van Mil then got the bases loaded when Francesco Fuzzi singled and Claudio Liverziani walked.
Bologna left the bases loaded after their productive batter Suárez flied out in what probably was the most deciding at bat of this game.
Strenghtened by the outcome of the top of eighth inning, Neptunus took the lead for the third time in the bottom of the eighth.
Urving Kemp led off with a walk, but then Dwayne Kemp and Benjamin Dille both flied out.
Veteran Raily Legito followed with a single that moved Kemp into scoring position.
Next batter Gianison Boekhoudt then grounded to second baseman Alessandro Vaglio, appearing to become the third out.
However, a throwing error followed and so, Boekhoudt had to speed up some to reach first base, while Kemp scored the go-ahead run, 3-2.
With runners on second and third base, Salomon Marinez took over for Rivero and ended the inning with a strikeout.
In the top of the ninth inning, Van Mil gave up an one-out single to Alex Sambucci, but he was forced out moments later.
With a runner on first base, Van Mil ended the game with a strikeout to secure the win.
And with that, Neptunus forced a third and deciding game.
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Neptunus forces 3rd game with small win in EC-final
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Curaçao Neptunus failed to hold onto a small lead twice, then broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning to win 3-2 on Saturday-evening (August 8) vs. UnipolSai Bologna to even the best-of-three final of the European Champions Cup.
With the win, Neptunus forced a deciding third game, which will be played on Sunday.