Challengers go down quietly

The NLB-team lost the first game of a two-game series against the Zürich Lions 11-3.

The Lions stacked up 14 hits, three of them for extra-bases, led by second baseman Elias Ventura who went 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs.

Ventura batted in all of the Lions' first four runs against Challengers starter Oliver Christen who was not as sharp as in his last outings.

Christen surrendered 9 runs, 7 earned, in 4.2 innings, but struck out 8 batters.

Yanick Probst took over in the fifth frame and part of the lonely Challengers rally in the game.

After already batting in the Challengers' first run in the second inning, he now plated Korey Kovac with his double.

Korey had just driven in Kurt Kovac moments befor with his first career-triple in the NLB.

After that, Probst stayed stainless for his 2.1 innings, while relievers Willi Schaub in 0.1 and Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer in 1.2 innings had to give up a run each.

In the meantime, the poor Challengers' offense only got one more baserunner, when Matt Stringer was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game.