Serie A1· Season 2026
Parma Clima erased a 5-2 deficit with a nine-run fourth inning to beat San Marino 15-8 and tie the Italian Baseball Series at 1-1. Geraldo's three-run homer sealed it.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
A 45-minute rain delay pushed first pitch to 20:45 local time at Stadio Nino Cavalli. Parma sent Claudio Scotti to the mound as starting pitcher, while San Marino — missing Angelo Palumbo due to flu symptoms — handed the ball to Luca Di Raffaele, per FIBS.
San Marino took control early. Ademar Rifaela and Giovanni Lino both went deep, and the visitors built a 4-2 lead by the end of the third inning. Parma's response came via a two-run home run from Leonora, but the hosts still trailed entering the fourth.
When San Marino extended the lead to 5-2 early in the fourth, the game appeared to be tilting decisively in the champions' favour. Instead, Di Raffaele's command unravelled, and Parma pounced.
The Crociati sent nine runs across the plate in the bottom half of the fourth, capitalising on a tiring Di Raffaele and a difficult relief outing from Artitzu. The 11-5 turnaround came in a blur of hits and walks that silenced the San Marino dugout.
San Marino refused to fold, scratching back with two runs to trim the gap to 11-7. But Geraldo crushed a three-run home run to restore Parma's nine-run lead at 15-7 after seven innings. San Marino plated one more run but could not sustain a rally against Parma's bullpen. Final score: 15-8.
The Turning Point
The nine-run fourth inning. Parma had lost seven of nine previous playoff innings to San Marino across Games 1 and the early part of Game 2, and the series risked slipping to 0-2 on home soil. Claudio Scotti settled on the mound after a shaky start, and once Parma's lineup turned over against a fading Di Raffaele, the damage was relentless. A nine-run frame in a Finale Scudetto game is rare — Parma did not have a single inning of that magnitude in their entire semifinal series against Macerata.
Key Performers
- Geraldo (Parma) — Game-changing three-run home run in the seventh that killed San Marino's comeback momentum. Also homered in Game 1.
- Leonora (Parma) — Two-run home run in the early innings that kept Parma within striking distance before the fourth-inning explosion.
- Claudio Scotti (Parma) — Winning pitcher; settled after early trouble and went deep enough to protect Parma's bullpen. Scotti was also the winning pitcher in Game 6 of the semifinal vs Macerata on 23 August.
- Ademar Rifaela (San Marino) — Homered and remained a threat throughout, but San Marino's bullpen could not contain the home side's lineup in the middle frames.
Player of the Match: Geraldo (Parma) — three-run home run proved decisive in snuffing out San Marino's comeback.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The 15-8 final scoreline reflects a game of two distinct phases: San Marino dominated the first three innings (4-2) with disciplined at-bats and two home runs, but Parma's nine-run fourth flipped the game's expected run differential by an estimated seven runs. Parma's 15 runs were the most San Marino has allowed in any game since Gara 5 of the semifinal vs Bologna (18-13 on 20 August). The combined 23 runs also surpassed Game 1's total (5-3) by 15 runs, illustrating how sharply the pitching quality dropped once each team went to its bullpen.
What It Means
The Italian Baseball Series is now tied 1-1. The best-of-seven series shifts to San Marino for Game 3, scheduled for Saturday 29 August (venue: Stadio Serravalle). The winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the series in six of the last eight Italian Baseball Series finals. Parma broke San Marino's run of consecutive playoff wins — the Titans had won three straight (Games 6-7 vs Bologna and Game 1 vs Parma) before Friday.
Next fixtures:
- Game 3: Saturday 29 August, San Marino vs Parma (Stadio Serravalle)
- Game 4: Sunday 30 August, San Marino vs Parma (Stadio Serravalle) — if needed
Verdict
Parma's nine-run fourth was the kind of explosive response a team designs when its back is against the wall. The series is effectively a best-of-five now, and the pressure shifts to San Marino to protect home field at Serravalle. Scotti's ability to chew innings after the rain delay may prove a pivotal detail if the series goes deep.
Rivalry since 2020
Parma vs San Marino Head to Head Results· 50
Parma and San Marino have met 50 times — Parma won 24, San Marino won 26, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2020. San Marino leads the head-to-head with 26 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 453 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 9.06 per match (231 for the home side, 222 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 42 matches (84%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 45 games (90%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Parma are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 11–19 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 29 Aug 2026