(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Rimini wins to force sixth game in Italian Series
Nederlands
 RIMINI (Italy) -
Pirati dei Rimini won 8-2 on Wednesday-evening (August 17) against UnipolSai Fortitudo Bologna in Game Five of the Italian Baseball Series to force a sixth game in the best-of-seven championship final.
Game Six will be played coming Saturday in Bologna.
Rimini trailed 2-1 halfway the sixth inning, but then came alongside.
Hero of the game then became Daniel José Mayora Salazar.
The 31-year old Venezolan had tied the score in the sixth inning with a homerun, but he then hit a grand slam homerun in the seventh to put Rimini ahead!
Mayora plays professionally since 2005.
He played in several minor league-teams for the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, reaching Triple-A in 2011.
Since 2008, he also plays professionally in the Venezuelan Winter League.
This is his first season in Italy.
Bologna stranded two runners in the top of the first inning, then Rimini opened the score moments later.
With one out, Ennio Retrosi doubled and score on following single by José Flores.
Bologna came alongside in the fourth on a basesloaded walk for Alessandro Grimaudo, but the team also left three runners behind.
In the top of the sixth, Bologna took the lead and it was again Grimaudo who batted in the run, this time with a single.
In the bottom of the sixth, Daniel Mayora led off with a homerun to make it a 2-2 score.
When next batter Jairo Ramos Gizzi singled, a pitching change followed and Andrea Pizziconi took over for starter Luca Panerati.
He struckout the next batter, then was supported with a double play.
In the top of the seventh, Bologna left two more runners.
Rimini then decided the game moments later.
With one out, Lorenzo Di Fabio reached on an error and Stefano Desimoni walked.
While next batter Ennio Retrosi struckout, the two runners executed a double steal.
To set up a force play, José Flores was walked intentionally and veteran Riccardo De Santis was brought in as new pitcher.
He faced Daniel Mayora, who then drilled his second pitch over the centerfield-fence for a grand slam homerun!
Rimini added two more runs in the eighth.
Federico Celli then first scored from second base on a wild pitch.
The ball went high over the glove of the catcher off the home plate umpire and then jumped towards the first base dug-out.
A double by Desimoni followed to lift the lead to 8-2.
(August 17)
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Game Five best-of-7 Italian Baseball Series.