Challengers win in six innings againt lackluster Eagles

The Challengers dumped the Reussbühl Eagles in six innings 24-4 in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader.

	Benny Räber did a great job not just on the mound but also at the plate, hitting a career-high two doubles and collecting three RBI's.

The Eagles did little to prevent a defeat, getting only seven hits off starter Benny Räber.

Three of the four runs Räber (2-0) allowed were unearned as he ended up with his second win of the season by tossing five solid innings.

He walked a season-low one batter and also struck out one.

Eagles starter Marcel Enz was tagged for some early runs as the Challengers' offense jumped out of the gates by scoring 12 runs in the first three innings.

Four of those runs were unearned as the Eagles defense committed four early errors that paved the way for the Challengers.

Both Thomas Landis and Manny Marchant had three hits each in these first three frames.

Landis ended up with a 5-for-6 performance, inlcuding two doubles, a homer, five runs scored and five RBI's.

Marchant remained perfect in a 5-for-5 performance, including two doubles, three runs scored and five RBI's.

The Challengers won every inning, and outhit their opponents 24-7, but also committed six errors, compared to only four by the opposition.

They even added seven runs in the fifth inning as 12 Challenger batters went to the plate, ammassing seven hits and one walk off reliever René Plüss.

By that time, the Challengers had built up an unsurmountable 20-4 lead, and both teams knew that the end was near.

	Reliever Zöllig had to pitch only one inning as the game ended after six innings.

Landis' second homer of the season, a three-run shot off Plüss, ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to the double-mercy rule.

Patrick Zöllig relieved Räber to pitch the final inning.

He gave up only one walk and struck out one batter in his first appearance on the mound since pitching one inning against the Bern Cardinals on August 17, 2002.

Game notes
The last time Räber walked just one or less better was against the Therwil Flyers on June 25, 2000 when he walked none. ...Harry Bregy tied his career-high by scoring four runs. ...Landis is batting .551 against the Eagles in his NLA-career, the highest amongst current NLA-teams. ...Every Challenger had at least two hits. ...The Challengers' last double-mercy rule win came against the Embrach Rainbows on April 21, 2002.