Challengers salvage split with 8-4 win

After losing Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader, the Challengers seeked and found revenge against the Therwil Flyers, winning 8-4 in convincing fashion.

This time, the Challengers took a 5-0 lead after three frames, thanks to a couple of errors in the infield, RBI-singles by Chris Palatinus and Kurt Kovac, and a two-run-single by Carlos Peña.

Starter Hideori Oshima was overmatched by the Challengers' timely hitting, and he left after five innings, having allowed five earned runs on nine hits and five walks.

His counterpart, James Sanders, on the other hand, threw a gem, allowing only one baserunner to reach as far as second base, when Sam Faeder was stranded at third base in the first frame.

The Challengers extended their lead to 8-0 against reliever Chris Blackbee as Thomas Blank collected two RBI's with his single.

That was all the Challengers needed, and it was just enough as Sanders started to wear out in the bottom of the sixth.

Daniel Eichenberger's bomb to center field, probably the longest and deepest single ever, plated Faeder for the first Flyer run, and Carlos Brito's run-scoring ground out scored yet another run.

In the seventh and final frame, Sanders surrendered two more unearned runs as second baseman Manuel Schretzmann and first baseman Tom Huston committed the only Challenger errors in the game, allowing the Flyers to cut the deficit to 8-4 with one out.

But Sanders got Faeder to ground out to short, and struck out Emanuel Raouzeos to end the game.

The two teams will face each other again next Saturday, with the Challengers being the home team.