Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University pitcher Allison Smith (’11, Daleville, Va.) traveled to Italy June 4-16 to play softball for a team sponsored by American International Sports Teams, a Missouri-based organization that assembles teams of college players and sends them overseas to play local club teams. Smith shares her once-in-a-lifetime experiences in a blog for wingatebulldogs.com.

Day One:

Roma! Roma! Roma! Right off the plane, we headed on our tour bus and saw one of the greatest historical landmarks: the coliseum. It is unbelievable how large and detailed the structure is…it is amazing that a remarkable building was built so long ago and still stands today. We then ventured for lunch and I had the best pizza I have ever had; imagine melted cheese, perfectly seasoned sauce and crust with just enough crunch!

Then we went to the fountain of Trevi, where many of our girls threw in coins wishing for true love; it was here we had our first taste of gelato, the cream of the crop in terms of ice cream. We ended the day with a great team meal at the hotel…most of the girls fell asleep (almost) in their plates from a full day of activity and exhaustion.

Day Two:

Our second day in Roma; this was a day of religious exploration with a visit to the Vatican City. We traveled through the museums, displaying tapestry, sculptures, frescos and statues from Greek and Roman art and architecture. We traveled through the Sistine Chapel and saw the works of Michelangelo; they are a true piece of history and everyone should see the fresco at some point in life.

Next we went to St. Peter’s Cathedral and saw the largest church in the entire world; it has this title for a reason, the amount of gold, paintings and sculptures in the place are unimaginable. The Stars team played that night against Urbe Roma and won 10-1. They set the standard high for the rest of the trip and made it clear the girls here can play!

Urbe Roma game recap:

AIST Stars take game one versus Urbe Roma 10-1. Emilee Lepp launched a three-run home run and Claire Velaski recorded the win on the mound for the Stars.

Day Three:

Firenze! Otherwise known as Florence, Italy…we spent a day full of spending money and trying to keep dry in Florence. We spent three hours in the bus sleeping and watching movies before we arrived in the plaza. Once we arrived, we headed towards Michaelangelo’s David and the street market. There were beautiful leather goods and many other original Italian items purchased, but not without a little haggling of the price. The end of the day at the street market was topped off with the purchasing of some fine wine from local vineyards.

After the Florence excursion, we headed to our next hotel at Montecatini Terme, where we were met with the opportunity to eat MORE pasta! The gang headed out to a local Irish Pub where more rain met them. Not only did we get lost on the way back, but we saw the night life of Montecatini Terme. Although no games were played, we had tons of fun and looked forward to the next day in beautiful San Marino.

Day Four:

We headed from our hotel to San Marino, a separate country from Italy. The view is breathtaking. After a long bus ride of more sleep and movies, we were all happy to arrive and play ball. We hung out in the local shops for a few hours before heading to an early dinner at the hotel. After dinner it was time to play ball! The girls faced some tough competition, as the team fell 10-3 to the Titiano Hornets (whose players include several Czech national team players, as well as an American pro pitcher). Afterwards, we quickly showered and headed to a Salsa party where we met up with other AIST teams.

Titiano game recap:

I pitched in relief during this game and gave up no runs, no hits. I recorded three strikeouts in three innings. The Stripes fell to Titiano in San Marino 10-3. The Stripes team faced a very strong pitcher from the USA who was playing professionally for the Titiano Hornets in San Marino.

Day Five:

Our fifth day was a very a “chill” day both activity and weather-wise. We started the chilly day off with a tour of the San Marino capital. The tour can be described in two words: beautiful and tiring. The tour consisted of beautiful views of the city and castles, along with plenty of hills and stairs to climb. On the way back down the hill, the majority of us managed to spend some more money on anything we could find in the stores along the way.

After lunch at the hotel, we had planned to visit the beach at the Adriatic Sea. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate AGAIN and we did not get to go. Instead, some of us spent our free time spending more money and catching up on sleep. After wisely spending our free time, we headed to the Stars game against Titiano in San Marino. The Stars team played very well and won 6-0. After the game most of us went to get pizza and gelato. We continued to enjoy the beautiful and relaxing city of San Marino.

Day Six – Transfer from San Marino to Wine Tasting and Games:

Vino, vino, vino!! The transfer from San Marino to Parma was a very long and quiet drive. Most of us enjoyed catching up on sleep after two days of climbing hills in San Marino, the rest enjoyed the scenery which was composed of breathtaking landscapes, quite towns and farmland.

After the three-hour bus trip, we arrived in Parma, where we headed straight to Casale Del Groppone, a well-known local vineyard. Once there, we sampled two types of sparkling wine, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, various meats such as prosciutto di Parma, pancetta and colattello and tested Casale Del Groppone’s outstanding balsamic vinegar. The appetizers were followed by an amazing homemade spinach and cheese ravioli, then delectable lemon and fig squares for desert.

After our meal, we hit the winery, where we purchased Casale Del Groppone’s sparkling wine which has been named the number one sparkling wine four consecutive years in Italia. We toured the winery, where we were able to see where the wine was made, bottled and stored. We discovered that Casale Del Groppone produced around one million bottles of sparkling wine a year!!

After leaving the vineyard, we headed to the field to play our double-header against Colecchio, the local softball team. The Stripes played first, starting Allison Smith from Wingate University on the mound with Kari Corbeille from St. Norbert College closing. The Stripes had hot bats, scoring nine runs and only allowing one.

After a short intermission, the Stars played next, starting Claire Velaski from Linfield College, followed by Linfield teammate Lauren Harvey and closer Danielle Ponsiglione from the College of Staten Island. The contest was tight in the early innings; the Stars pulled away to win 7-3 with an inside-the-park home run from Sarah Kalka from Rutgers University and a line drive out of the park from Emilee Lepp from Linfield College. (I started the Stripes game, allowing no hits in three innings. I had five strikeouts and recorded the victory.)

Day Seven – Bologna:

After the best breakfast so far on our tour of Italia, we once again loaded on our tour bus (which we now consider our home away from home) to transfer to Bologna for a fun-filled tour of the city. We met our tour guide by the statue of Neptune (the Roman god of the sea) and we began our tour. We first visited the Basilica di San Petronio, which was never completed because the Pope did not want it to be larger than St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Regardless of its incompletion, the Basilica di San Petronio was breathtaking, with many beautiful murals and unique architecture. Following the Basilica, we headed next door to the Biblioteca comunale dell’ Archiginnasio, which is the University in Bologna.

After the tour, some of us visited the two towers of Bologna, while others ventured off to visit the large market in the area to see clothes, purses and shoes. It was a long day of shopping and touring, but it was worth it to visit the beautiful city of Bologna. Finally, we piled back on the bus, heading towards the hotel for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day Eight – Venice

After eating breakfast in Bologna, we departed for Venice, the most visited city in the world. The city is built on canals, so the only way into the city and around it is by boat. Upon arriving, we separated for our gondola rides. We were whisked gently down the canals, viewing the large monuments in the city, as well as the cute apartments lining the canals. Next we experienced free time in the Venetian market place where vendors were selling jewelry, shirts, leather goods and knick knacks. Finally, we toured the city, where we walked inside the Basilica di San Marco. In addition, we witnessed a choir concert. After departing from Venice, we drove to Lake Como where we would stay the rest of our trip.

Day Nine – Milan

After a breakfast full of meat and cheeses, we departed for Milan, the city of fashion. We toured the Duomo di Milano, the fifth-largest church in the world. The church was unbelievably large…it is hard to believe that it only tops the list at number five. We also toured the la galleria, where the rich designers of the world such as Louis Vutton, Gucci and Fendi hold court. An out-of-place McDonald’s is also located in la galleria. After touring the city, we went back to Lake Como for competition. The Stripes teams played the Italian National Team and lost 6-0; the Stars team won, beating the national team 3-2 on a walk-off, inside-the-park home run.

Italian National Team game recap:

I pitched for the Stars team as a middle reliever. I pitched three innings, allowing three hits and no runs. I recorded three strikeouts.

Day 10 – Lake Como

Our day in cool paradise at Lake Como was fabulous. We went out on Lake Como, the lake situated between the north of Italy and the Swiss Alps…to say this view was breathtaking is an understatement. We took a speed ferry around the lake until we reached the Bellagio, a small city on the other side of the lake (the large casino in Las Vegas is patterned after the Bellagio).

We sat in a small café and ate the best pizza I have ever had…Pizza Hut is not going to cut it after this trip. We spent time shopping in the small town before returning to the speed boat and making our way back to the other side of the lake to depart for our evening games. The Stripes team once again played first and lost 10-1 to Legnano, an Italian professional team. The Stripes team finished the tour with a 1-3 overall record. The Stars team lost 5-0 to Legnano, but finished the tour with a 3-1 overall record, good enough for second in the tournament. After the last game, awards were presented to Allison Smith (MVP) and Harley Catron (Most Inspiring Player).

Legnano game recap:

I started the Legnano game and pitched three shutout innings, allowing three hits and posting three strikeouts. I did not give up any runs during my 12 innings overseas.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 32 undergraduate majors, 36 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past five years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 39 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 48 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.