Cardinals rally for 9-4 win

In a duel of two teams fighting for a playoff berth, the Bern Cardinals amassed 18 hits for a 9-4 win in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader at the Heerenschürli.

Although the Challengers had a perfect start by scoring three times in the first inning, the Cardinals rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh against starter Tobias Siegrist to put the game away.

Javi Rodriguez had a game-high four hits, while Frank Garcia and Ernesto Pereira contributed three hits each for the Cardinals. Tobias Imboden picked up his second win of the season by tossing eight innings, while Siegrist got charged with his third loss of the season with a seven-inning performance.

He allowed six runs - three of them unearned - on 12 hits and one walk while striking out two. Thomas Burger pitched the final two innings in his first pitching appearance since May 30.

Siegrist and player coach Clayton Carson were the only Challengers with more than one hit to their accounts as Imboden allowed only seven more baserunners after the first frame.

Game notes
Siegrist's start was his 53rd of his career, tying him with Thomas Burger for third on the Challengers' all-time list. …It was the second time this season that the Challengers conceded 18 hits in a game, with the last time coming against the Zurich Barracudas on May 8.