Baseball: Israel overcomes Italy 11-5 to reach gold medal game – The Israeli side beat the odds as well as a powerful Italian national team managed by iconic Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. | The Jerusalem Post

Team Israel upset tournament host Italy 11-5 in the semifinal game of the European Baseball Championships in Avigliano, Italy. The Israeli side beat the odds as well as a powerful Italian national team managed by iconic Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. The Blue and White responded with its own icon: 41-year-old pitcher Shlomo Lipetz, who has played on Israeli national teams at every level over a period that spans 4 decades. By winning Friday night, Israel earned its first-ever berth in the European Gold Medal game and will face-off against the heavily favorited squad from the Netherlands on Sunday in Torino.