Challengers late rally invain as Braves win 12-11 in final at-bat

Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader was a much closer affair than Game 1, and it almost took the Chur Braves extra innings to beat the Challengers' NLB-team.

	Philippe Rérat

The Challengers again scored twice in the top of the first inning, but this time, they held on and even extended their lead in the second inning on Thomas Blank's three-run homer off starter Mikulandra for a 5-0 lead.

The Braves reacted in the bottom half of the inning and scored four times off Philippe Rérat.

Rérat sat out the last three seasons and decided to come back for this season.

The Braves took the lead in the next inning and held on to it until the top of the seventh and final inning.

But the Challengers didn't surrender easily this time and knotted the score at 11-11 by scoring three times on two bases-loaded walks to Oliver Deck and Oliver Marty, and Beni Blank's run-scoring fielder's choice.

The Braves though reacted quickly and it just took them two batters to win the game in the bottom half of the inning. Cuonz walked, stole second, went to third on Patrick Bosshard's passed ball, and scored on Mikulandra's single.

The Challengers are now in last place with a 2-8 record, and even trail the second-to-last placed team Uzwil Helvetics by 2 1/2 games.