Bologna vs San Marino

Bologna struck first in the bottom of the second inning. A leadoff walk and a well-placed single put runners on the corners before a sacrifice fly brought home the opening run. The score remained 1-0 through three innings as Bologna's starter kept San Marino's powerful lineup — which had scored six runs in each of the first two games — off balance.

The game broke open in the fourth. Bologna strung together four consecutive hits, chasing San Marino starter from the game. A two-run double to the gap cleared the bases, and a subsequent RBI single made it 5-0 before the inning ended. The home crowd at Stadio Falchi erupted as Bologna batted around.

San Marino got on the board in the top of the fifth. A leadoff double and a groundout moved the runner to third, and a sacrifice fly scored the visitors' only run of the night. But Bologna answered immediately in the bottom half, adding two more runs on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to restore the six-run cushion.

From there, Bologna's bullpen shut the door. The combination of relievers retired 12 of the final 14 San Marino batters, allowing just one hit and one walk over the last four innings.

San Marino entered the fourth inning trailing just 1-0, very much in the game. Then Bologna sent nine men to the plate in a four-run rally that effectively ended the contest. The sequence was built on quality at-bats — four hits, none for extra bases — rather than defensive mistakes or walks. It was the first time in the series that Bologna's offence produced a truly damaging inning against a prepared San Marino pitcher, and it changed the entire complexion of the game.

• Andrea Bassani (Bologna) — The winning pitcher in Game 3 and again the starter here, Bassani worked 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts. He kept San Marino's Alvarez, Angulo and Diaz in check through the early innings when the game was still tight.
• Luis Richardson (Bologna) — The Bologna first baseman went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, providing the key hit in the four-run fourth that broke the game open.
• Eric Mendez (San Marino) — Mendez entered in relief and worked 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, but the damage from the fourth inning was already done.

Player of the match: Andrea Bassani for setting the tone on the mound in a must-win home start.

Bologna's 7-1 win was defined by efficiency. The home side collected 10 hits — three more than San Marino — but the gap in run production was far wider because Bologna concentrated their hits in one explosive inning. San Marino left five runners on base, three of whom reached in the fifth-inning rally that produced only one run. The visitors managed just one extra-base hit all night, a marked contrast from Games 1 and 2 in Serravalle, where they launched multiple home runs. Bologna's pitchers threw first-pitch strikes to 21 of 32 batters, consistently working ahead in the count.

The series is now tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven semifinal. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday 20 August at Stadio Falchi in Bologna (20:30 CET), with the winner taking a crucial 3-2 lead. The victor of this series — which pits the two most successful Italian clubs of the last six seasons against each other — will face either Parma Clima or Hotsand Macerata in the Italian Baseball Series.

San Marino entered the series as the defending champions with a 5-0 playoff record in 2026. Bologna have now won two straight at home to level the tie. The momentum has clearly shifted.

This was Bologna's most convincing performance of the series and arguably their best of the entire postseason. Bassani gave them length and control, the bullpen closed efficiently, and for the first time the lineup produced real damage against San Marino pitching. The defending champions now face their first real adversity of the 2026 playoffs. Game 5 on Thursday is the new swing game.

Watch the full broadcast of Bologna 7-1 San Marino — Game 4 of the Serie A Gold semifinal series, streamed live by FIBS Channel.