Eagles profit from Challenger's sloppy defense, win 9-8

The Luzern Eagles extended the Challengers' losing streak to three games as they overcame the Challengers' 14 hits with a 9-8 stunner.

Jerome Müller allowed eight runs on 13 hits and one base-on-balls over seven innings, but was still credited with the win.

He outdueled Chris Palatinus who allowed five runs in the fourth and fifth innings after tossing three shutout innings to start the game.

Carlos Peña had four hits in five at-bats, including a double, Carl Conway added three singles in four at-bats, but the Challengers' three errors - two by Conway - led to five unearned runs.

Rudy Vargas led the Eagles' offense with a 3-for-5 showing, and Jerome Müller helped his own cause with two singles and three RBI's.

The Challengers jumped ahead by scoring four runs in the first two innings on a sac fly by Jesus Martinez, Yanik Probst's two-run double, and Peña's RBI-single.

The Eagles got to Palatinus in the top of the fourth as Müller jumped on Palatinus' first pitch with two outs and two runners in scoring position, lining a single to straight center that plated both runners.

Conway's RBI-single in the bottom half of the inning with two outs got one run back, extending the Challengers' lead to 5-2.

In the top of the fifth inning, Reyes and Veras drew back-to-back walks to open the inning. René Plüss' single loaded the bases with no outs, and Vargas took the opportunity to knock in two runners with a double to deep left center field.

Tom Enz's ground out to first scored another run to knot the score at 5 apiece.

Palatinus managed to strike out Marco Limacher and induce Del Rosario to hit into an inning-ending ground out, but that ended his day.

Reliever Thomas Burger took over, and he was greeted by another single off Müller's bat. He struck out the next two batters, and got Ramon Garcia to ground to shortstop Probst, who flipped the ball to second baseman Peña. Peña couldn't handle the ball, extending the inning.

Plüss profited from this blunder and knocked in Müller with an RBI-single.

In the top of the seventh, the Eagles added three more runs on just one hit. Conway's second error of the game brought home one more unearned run for the Eagles, Müller and Limacher executed a perfect squeeze play, and Andreas Vogel drove home the Eagles' ninth run with an RBI-double.

The Challengers managed to answer with three runs on Conway's sacrifice fly and Patrick Maier's two-run triple, but they still trailed by one run.

Stefan Haltmeier pitched the final two innings for the Eagles, allowing no more runs and hits, earning his first save of the season.

Game notes
With the Barracudas two losses against the Bern Cardinals and the Lions' two losses against the Therwil Flyers on Saturday, the Zurich clubs start the season with just one win in 11 games.