Challengers 8, Cardinals 6

The Challengers used a late-inning comeback to pull out an 8-6 victory in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Cardinals from Bern.

Patrick Bosshard>

Rookie Of The Year candidate Patrick Bosshard went 3-for-4 and raised his batting average to .500.

The score was 1-0 in the Cards' favor after two innings and the Challengers had a hard time against strater Fries who did a good job mixing up his pitches. Chris Palatinus broke the spell and hit an RBI-single in the top of the 3rd to tie the score at 1. The Cardinals came back though and went ahead 2-1 after three.

Bryan Shemley led off the fourth inning with a walk and Thomas Landis hit the first pitch offered to him by Fries over the center-field wall for his eighth homer in eight games, giving the Challengers a 3-2 lead.

After going up 4-2 in the top of the sixth, the Challengers suddenly fell apart and especially the infield was not in the game anymore. They committed three errors that led to three unearned runs and the Cards were suddenly up 6-4.

But the Challengers felt no pressure and started the seventh inning by putting the first three batters on base with two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Ron Zimmermann relieved Fries and quickly gave up a double and two singles that put the Challengers up 8-6. He managed to pick Bosshard of first base, retire Nicki Lehmann on a popup to the catcher and catching Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer stealing home.

The Cards weren't able to respond to that and went down silently in their half of the seventh and the Challengers managed just another late inning rally for their fourth win in a row.