(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Rimini second finalist European Champions Cup
Nederlands
 RIMINI (Italy) -
Pirati dei Rimini became the second finalist of the European Champions Cup by winning 4-2 on Friday-evening (June 3) against UnipolSai Fortitudo Bologna in an Italian semi-final.
Rimini meets L&D Amsterdam Pirates in the all-deciding final on Saturday-evening in Rimini, starting at 8:30 PM.
In the first game of the tournament in Pool B, Amsterdam won 6-2 against Rimini.
Rimini led 3-0 after three innings, but was unable to take more distance in the following innings.
In the top of the first inning, Ennio Retrosi and José Flores singled with one out to put runners at the corners.
A passed ball then accounted for the first run.
Rimini added two runs in the third at bat.
With two outs, José Flores and Daniel Mayora hit back-to-back doubles to bring in a run.
A following single by Jairo Ramos Gizzi made it 3-0.
Bologna got one run back in the fourth inning off of Ricardo Hernandez Sanchez, who pitched in the Dutch big league for Vaessen Pioniers last season.
With one out, the lefthander gave up a double to Alex Sambucci, who then advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler La Torre.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth.
Rimini made it a 4-1 score on a single by Luis Serafim de Camargo.
A single by Alex Sambucci cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth.
But hereafter, the Rimini-pitching held Bologna scoreless.
And so, Rimini will return to the European Cup-final, which it also reached in 2013 and 2014.
The Italians reached the Final Four in 2010.
In the afternoon, L&D Amsterdam Pirates became the first finalist by winning 11-7 against Cupholder Curaçao Neptunus in the 'Dutch' semi-final.
Recap of this semi-final
With that, both finalists of last year were eliminated.
Last year, Neptunus and Bologna faced each other in a best-of-three final.
Bologna won the opener, then Neptunus won the next two games to win its first European Cup since 2004.
Also in the afternoon, in a German match-up, VOITH Heidenheim Heideköpfe surprised by winning 2-0 against Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg.
With the win, Heidenheim finished in a tie for fifth place, while Regensburg now will play in the relegation-game on Saturday.
Heidenheim struck early and scored both runs with two outs in the top of the first inning off of starting pitcher Niklas Rimmel.
With one out, Sascha Lutz singled, as did James McOwen with two outs.
The bases got loaded when Aaron Hornostaj walked.
Hereafter, Shawn Larry delivered a 2-run double and that was to be it.
It was all that Heidenheim and winning pitcher Wesley Römer needed.
Römer went the distance, struckout five batters and gave up seven hits.
In the evening, T&A San Marino and Kotlářka Praha would decide, who would face Regensburg in the relegation-game.
However, the game, that was scheduled to be played in Serravalle (San Marino), was cancelled due to rain.
It has been re-scheduled for Saturday-morning, starting at 11 AM.
(June 3)
Schedule
Scores
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