Italy rallies to beat Australia; earns Italy’s first-ever LLWS victory

Bologna, Italy defeated Queensland, Australia on Saturday afternoon, 12-7, thanks to a huge rally by Italy to earn the region’s first-ever Little League World Series victory.

Australia scored four in the first inning and led 5-0 after two, but Italy kept fighting and rallying. Italy scored four runs in the top of the third and held a 6-5 lead in the top of the fourth before Australia tied it in the bottom of the inning.

But it was a huge six-run fifth inning which propelled Italy to a win.

“They had a couple big errors, couple wild pitches, couple walks as a pitcher, but I trusted in my teammates until the end so I knew we were going to make it as well,” Italy’s Francesco Carlini said.

“Honestly I was kind of down, but I had trust in my teammates and I knew we were going to make it,” Italy’s Pablo Suarez said of Italy’s early deficit.

Suarez went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs and Carlini went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored to help lead Italy. Daniel Tomassini (2 for 4) and Simone Giorgi (2 for 2) also had multiple hits. Suarez had two doubles, Thomas Giovanardi had a double, and Carlini hit a double and triple.

Australia had one extra-base hit from Alonzo Zaire Griffin, who had a double.

Tirrell Waiwai went 3 for 4 with an RBI and run, Xavier Honsa was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Mason Clem went 1 for 3 with three runs.

“I was a bit worried when we scored those runs early on, like ‘don’t use them all up now.’ But any game there’s a turning point. Our turning point was call that was foul, and it was foul, but they thought they pulled off a triple play, suddenly from a triple play to no outs. Sort of like being on a rollercoaster, we just couldn’t make it back up that hill. But they’ll learn from it,” Australian manager Keith Land said. “Kids are kids. As coaches, we will probably dissect that game for the next 10 years. They’ll be out trading pins tonight, but that’s young men for you.”