Challengers defeat Barracudas 13-5 behind Lonstein`s 18-strikeout performance

Ari Lonstein threw a dominant complete game with 18 strikeouts while David Castillo collected four hits and four RBIs to power the Zürich Challengers to a 13-5 victory over the Zürich Barracudas.

The Zürich Challengers surged late to earn a 13-5 win over the Zürich Barracudas 3. Ari Lonstein delivered a masterful complete-game performance on the mound, striking out 18 batters over nine innings while allowing just two hits, and contributing at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. The Challengers opened the scoring in the first inning on a Saentis Zeller RBI groundout, but the Barracudas responded with three runs across the first two innings, taking advantage of a wild pitch, an Angel Marcial Elias groundout, and an RBI double by Elvis Del Valle Diaz. The Barracudas added another run in the third to lead 4-1. The Challengers cut into the deficit in the fifth inning on RBI hits from David Castillo and Anderson Zambrano. In the top of the sixth, Zürich took control. Noam Blickenstorfer tied the game with a sacrifice fly before Castillo doubled home two runs to give the Challengers the lead. Leonel Yemalla Hernandez Reyes added an RBI single to make it 7-4. Lonstein extended the lead with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. After the Barracudas pulled within 8-5 in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch, the Challengers sealed the win with a five-run ninth inning featuring RBI singles from Lonstein, Shadir Isaac Mora Soler, Castillo, and a two-run single by Reyes. Losing pitcher Hansel Martin Rodriguez Martin allowed six earned runs over 5.2 innings for the Barracudas.