Alexia Lacatena Pitches Italy to 2022 U-22 European Championship

KUNOVICE, Czech Republic – Kentucky pitcher Alexia Lacatena went 3-0 in the 2022 U-22 European Softball Championships pitching for Team Italy as the Italians won the championship, capturing the title in a win over the host Czech Republic.

Lacatena allowed just three runs in over 23.0 innings of work during her time in the circle, walking three and striking out an amazing 34 batters during the championships.

The Stanhope, New Jersey native and rising sophomore at the University of Kentucky threw one complete-game shutout, against the Netherlands where she threw seven innings without allowing a run, surrendering three hits and striking out a tournament-high 12 batters.

Her ERA for the tournament was a microscopic 0.91 and she recorded the final out of the championship to seal the title with the tying run on and two outs with a soft grounder back to the circle that she fielded cleanly and threw to first for the last out of the tournament.

In 2022, Lacatena had a terrific freshman year at Kentucky, including pitching in and earning the win in the circle for the NCAA Blacksburg Regional semifinal against hosts, No. 3 Virginia Tech.

Team Italy Results

2022 U-22 European Softball Championships

Kunovice, Czech Republic

Round Robin Play

June 27 – Italy 16, Sweden 0

June 27 – Italy 18, Ukraine 2

June 28 – Italy 14, Croatia 0

June 28 – Italy 10, Slovakia 0

June 29 – Italy 4, Czech Republic 1

June 29 – Italy 7, Germany 0

June 30 – Italy 10, Ireland 0

June 30 – Italy 4, Czech Republic 0

July 1 – Italy 12, France 5

July 1 – Italy 8, Spain 7

Championship

July 2 – Italy 3, Czech Republic 2

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