Challengers 12, Barracudas 11

The Challengers rallied for seven runs in the final inning to beat the crosstown rivals Barracudas 12-11 in the first game in the relegation round.

The Challengers had an early 4-0 lead as they profited from the shaky Barracudas defense that committed two costly errors early in the game.

Oliver Labhart>

Rookie Oliver Labhart went 3-for-6 and collected a game-high three RBI's.

But the Barracudas erased that deficit by scoring four runs of their own in the bottom of the second on two walks, an error, a hit-by-pitch and a two-run double by second baseman Götschi.

The Challengers regained the lead in the fourth by scoring a single run, but the Barracudas reacted in the bottom of the fifth and scored two to capture the lead at 6-4.

By the beginning of the ninth and final inning, the Barracudas extended their lead to 10-5 and nothing seemed to stop starter Anthony Cerquone as he pitched a solid game for the Barracudas. But Patrick Bosshard ignited the big Challenger rally by clubbing a two-run homer over the left-field fence. The seven following Challengers collected six hits and rookie Oliver Labhart capped the inning by getting an RBI-single off Cerquone that sent him to the showers.

Reliever Nicki Lehmann, appearing in just his second game of the season, tried to hold off the Barracudas in the bottom of the ninth. They already scored three runs off him in the seventh and eighth inning and the first batter eventually reached on a base-on-balls and later scored on Cerquone's RBI-single. But Lehmann managed to retire Van Eite for the second out before catcher Coma got on with a single that sent Cerquone with the tying run into scoring position at second base.

But Lehmann kept his cool and got Brüderli to pop up to first baseman Harry Bregy for the final out of the game.

This win secures the Challengers their spot in the NLB for next season and with the performances the Challenger rookies showed this season, the future for the second team looks pretty promising.