Houston, March 15, 2026 – The Europe Today: Italy secured a historic place in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic after defeating Puerto Rico 8–6 at Daikin Park in Houston, marking the first time the Italian national team has reached this stage of the tournament.
The victory capped an impressive run for the Italian side, who remain unbeaten in the competition with a perfect 5–0 record. Their remarkable performance has established the Azzurri as one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.
Puerto Rico initially took an early lead when Willi Castro opened the game with a leadoff home run. However, Italy responded immediately with a four-run rally in the first inning to take control of the contest.
Italian captain Vinnie Pasquantino sparked the comeback with a key RBI single, while Andrew Fischer later delivered a crucial two-run double in the fourth inning to extend Italy’s lead to 8–2.
On the pitching side, Sam Aldegheri produced a composed performance to claim the win. Despite a late surge from Puerto Rico that narrowed the gap to two runs in the eighth inning, Italy’s bullpen remained steady. Relief pitcher Greg Weissert sealed the victory with a decisive five-out save.
Following the landmark triumph, Italy will now travel to Miami to face Venezuela in the semi-finals at loanDepot Park on Monday, after Venezuela eliminated defending champions Japan in another quarterfinal clash.
Italy’s breakthrough run has been widely celebrated as a major milestone for European baseball and a sign of the sport’s growing global reach.
