Challengers overpower Barracudas 13-7

A convincing victory in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Zurich Barracudas gave the Challengers new found confidence for the season.

After starting the season with two disastrous losses to the Bern Cardinals, the Challengers won their third consecutive game with a 13-7 win.

Thomas Landis earned his second win of the season by tossing 5+ innings, giving up only four runs on six hits and two walks, while also striking out six.

By the time he left the mound, the Challengers had taken a 6-4 lead.

After going up 4-0 in the third inning, the Barracudas came back to tie the game in the fifth inning on three doubles and two singles off Landis.

But the Challengers answered with a two-out RBI-double by Thomas Blank and an RBI-single by Geovanni Ureña to go up 6-4.

And they didn't stop there as they piled on four more runs with two outs in the sixth inning on Landis' solo homer, a throwing error by catcher Dominic McNulty, an RBI-single by Chris Palatinus and a balk by Nderim Coma.

The Barracudas managed to come back within 10-7 by scoring three times off reliever Harry Bregy, but that was all they could muster.

Thomas Burger closed off the game with three shutout innings, while his offense added three more runs on RBI-singles by Bregy and Palatinus, and Blank's sac fly to center in the eighth inning for the final score of 13-7.

Game notes
Palatinus' RBI-single in the sixth inning was his 500th total base in his career. ...Bryan Shemley struck out looking in the fifth inning in his 350th career at-bat. ...Barracudas coach Patrick Knecht was ejected from the game after disputing an apparent balk that wasn't called by base umpire Bruno Hubler.