Challengers outdueled in pitchers clash

Two weeks after their last face-off in Zürich, national pitchers Severin Fries and Thomas Burger met again in the opener of the Semifinals. And both managed to top their performances, with veteran Fries coming out as the winner of the matchup.

Fries gave up five hits, Burger four. Fries struck out seven, Burger fanned nine. Burger walked two, Fries none. And both gave up two-run homers to the opposing playing coaches. So it all came down to a hit batsman and a clutch two-out RBI-double in a quick game.

Chris Palatinus singled in the first inning and was the first batter to reach base. But Fries quickly retired the next 16 batters in order.

After cruising through the first two innings, Burger allowed the first baserunner with one out in the third by hitting Tinu Gygax. Tobias Imboded then sneaked a slow roller past Burger, allowing him to only get the out at first base. Vitus Huber followed with the first hit for the Cardinals, a double to right center that easily scored Gygax.

The Challengers escaped without further damage thanks to shortstop Säntis Zeller who barehanded an infield chopper for a perfect strike to first baseman Harry Bregy for the third out of the inning.

Backed by outstanding defense, the two pitchers shut down their opponents for two innings. Cardinals third baseman Gygax sparkled with a pair of eye-popping plays, and Challengers' right fielder Palatinus cut down Perigos at second base, trying to stretch his single into a double.

In the sixth inning, Burger walked Hänzi with two outs, and a couple of pitches later, left a fastball high in the zone for John Baum. The Cardinals' playing coach sent the offer over the left center-field fence to increase the lead to 3-0.

In the eighth inning, the Challengers finally managed to get a runner in scoring position.

In a well-executed hit-and-run-play, designated hitter Thomas Blank moved Geovanni Ureña, who had reached on error, to second.

But Zeller and Bregy failed to profit from the situation.

In the bottom half of the inning, Imboden boarded for the Cardinals, but was quickly removed in a nice 6-4-3 double-play.

The ninth inning brought a payoff for catcher Tobias Siegrist who was unlucky with a deep, but slightly foul flyball in his first and a linedrive in his third at-bat. He reached on a comeback-grounder.

Anthony Bennet then boosted a Fries fastball far over the center field fence to get the Challengers within one run.

That made the day for Fries, and John Baum took the mound.

He quickly retired Thomas Landis and Patrick Zöllig for the save.

As the Semifinal Series was cut to Best-of-3 due to the many schedule delays, the Challengers find themselves already on the verge of elimination and have to win the next game Saturday at the Heerenschürli.

Pitching probables are, who else, Fries and Burger.

Game notes
The homer allowed by Burger was only his second given up in his career. Rodolfo Vargas of the Reussbuhl Eagles is the only other player to hit one off Burger on May 7, 2005. ...Palatinus has a career-high three outfield assists on the season, and leads all players for the first time in his career.