Italian Blind Baseball League down to semifinals
The defending champions Fortitudo Bologna White Sox have qualified for the semifinals of the Italian Blind Baseball League (LIBCI) along with Patrini Malnate, Lampi Milano and Leonessa Brescia.
Bologna dominated the regular season undefeated (seven wins and one draw). Malnate finished second with six wins, one loss and one draw; and Lampi Milano placed third with five wins and three losses.
Brescia clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season thanks to a comeback 10-9 win against Thurpos Cagliari. It was their fourth win. They also drew one and lost three.
Leonessa pipped Umbria Redskins, who finished in fifth spot with four wins and four losses, the final one, 7-2 against Bologna, costing them a finals spot.
Nine teams participated in the 2023 LIBCI. The league, created by the Italian Blind Baseball Association (AIBxC, a WBSC Associate Member) and run together with the Italian Baseball Softball Federation (FIBS), is the oldest and most participated blind baseball championship in the world.
The semifinals are scheduled to take place in Malnate, in the northwestern Varese province, and Bologna on Saturday, 24 June (all times are local):
10:00 Patrini Malnate-Lampi Milano
15:00 Fortitudo Bologna White Sox-Leonessa Brescia