Wrapup from Rome

Clearwater High baseball coach David Vince and a team of local and national players recently wrapped up a nine-day trip to Rome, where they played multiple games against the Italian teams. (Read more about Vince here and catch up on earlier memories from Rome here.)

Here are highlights from the final few days, as e-mailed to us from Vince, of the trip:

Day 6
The USAAI baseball team took a one-hour train ride through the beautuful countryside to Florence. Upon arriving at the train station, we were met by a tour guide that took us on a walking tour through the old cobblestone streets. We visited the Santa Croche and Santa Maria del Fiore churches. We also visited the Ponte Vechio Bridge, the Fountain of Neptune and Michelangelo's statue of David.

After the tour, players were  given four hoursto browse,  shop and experience the city.  Before leaving Florence, the team met at a local restaurant for dinner, then took the train back to their hotel in Pescia.

Day 7
The team traveled to Tyiriannia where we ate lunch, then spent an hour relaxing at the beach before riding to the National Baseball Academy of Italy. It is a huge complex and training headquarters for the Italian national teams of basketball, tennis, swimming, baseball, and track and field.  The junior Olympic team we will play at the complex today is funded by MLB.  The facilities include batting cages, bullpens and very nice fields.

In today's game the USAAI team fell behind the Italian team in the first inning 2-0. In the third, USAAI was behind 3-1, but rallied to win 7-4 in a 9-inning game. Travis Aipel pitched all nine innings, allowing only one earned run on six hits  and eight strikeouts.

Steve Lyndford  had an RBI double off the top of the fence, barely missing a game-tying home run. Jason Ormond followed with an RBI single to tie. Then Mitch MacFadden hit a two-run double to give the USAAI team the lead for good in the seventh. Italy closed in to make it 5-4 in the eighth. We got two insurance runs in the ninth to secure the victory. Game stats below.
    
Day 7
The team lost its final game  6-5 to the Italy national team. USAAI rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie in the seventh, fell behind again 6-4,closed to 6-5 and had the bases loaded in the ninth but couldn't get the timely hit.

Overall ,it was a great trip with lots of sightseeing and the team finished the baseball side with three wins and one loss.

Comments

How cool for those kids