Challengers beat Braves 22-21 in final at-bat

The Challengers had a big eight-run fourth inning, but also had to survive an eight-run outburst to beat the Chur Braves 22-21 in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader.

	Thomas Blank

The Braves got off to a quick 6-0 lead against starter Oliver Labhart, but the Challengers gave him the lead by scoring seven times in the first three innings, profiting from two errors that made six of those runs unearned.

But Labhart couldn't defend the lead, allowing three runs to score in the top of the fourth that gave the Braves a temporary 9-7 lead.

But his offense came back and exploded for eight runs off starter Killias and reliever Wilhelm for a 15-9 lead.

Thomas Blank singled and doubled in that inning, and the Challengers sent a total of 12 batters to the plate.

And the Braves didn't surrender. Not only that, they even retook the lead by scoring eight times off reliever Orlando Balbuena.

But the Braves' 17-15 lead didn't last long as the Challengers scored three times for another lead change at 18-17.

Following the flow of the game, the Braves came back and scored four times for a 21-18 lead after 5 1/2 innings.

But the Challengers came back step by step, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth on Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer's RBI-double and Balbuena's sac fly.

Closer Claudio Deck held the Braves scoreless in the top of the seventh inning, and he was credited with the victory as his offense scored two more runs on a throwing error by catcher Mikulandra and Kämpfer's run-scoring sac bunt for the final score of 22-21.