Challengers outslug Cards 35-7

After getting away with a 10-8 win in game 1 of Sunday's season-opening doubleheader against the Bern Cardinals, the Challengers showed their real power and trashed them 35-7 in game 2.

	After going 0-for-5 in game 1, Anubis Benitez collected 6 hits in as many at-bats, scored six times, had eight RBI's and also hit two homers, one of them a grandslam, and an RBI-double.

The Challengers wasted no time to jump on light-throwing Tom Volk and sent 15 batters to the plate to score 12 runs in the first inning alone. The Challengers sent six balls over the fence: Bryan Shemley had a grandslam homer, and Thomas Landis, Jose Valdez and Manny Marchant hit back-to-back-to-back homers with two outs off Volk.

After giving up 12 runs, all of them earned, Volk was finally relieved by Kusano who managed to get the third out.

The Cards faced rookie Patrick Zöllig in the first inning and used his nervousness and wildness to score three runs off him on a single, two walks and two hit-by-pitches.

But the Challengers weren't finished there.
They continued where they left off and ammassed six more homers in the second inning. Anubis Benitez hit a grandslammer and a two-run shot, Valdez and Marchant again hit back-to-back homers, Landis had a two-run four-bagger and Chris Palatinus also added a two-run round-tripper.

	Jose Valdez belted two homers and collected five RBI's.

Meanwhile, Zöllig settled down and retired all six batters he faced in the second and third inning in order.

He was relieved by another rookie, Harry Bregy. He also showed a superb performance, pitching the final two innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and no walks, and also striking out two.

Zöllig and Bregy were also successful at the plate, both of them hitting singles off Severin Fries.

The game ended after five innings due to the new double-mercy rule that ends doubleheader games after five innings in case a team is leading by more than 20 runs.

	Harry Bregy appeared in just his second NLA game on the mound and showed a fine performance.

Game Notes: After remaining hitless in game 1, Benitez went 6-for-6 with two homers, a double and three singles, collecting eight RBI's and also stealing his first base of the season. ...Tobias Siegrist remained the only Challenger who was hitless in both games, going 0-for-4 in 10 plate appearances. He reached base six times on four walks and two hit-by-pitches. ...The fifteen homers in the doubleheader are already more than the Challengers hit in 1984, 1985, 1986 or 1991. Last year, the Challengers combined for 15 homers after 4 games en route to a record 94 homers. ...The 35 runs were the most in the last four seasons a Challenger team has scored that many times.