Challengers win 11th in a row by smashing Barracudas 14-1
RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG
Benny Räber showed why he is the no. 1 pitcher on the staff, and that his appearance in Game 1 was just a fluke.

  
Benny Räber completed his sixth game of the season for his seventh win in 10 decisions.
He pitched a complete-game two-hitter, giving up only one unearned run, and also striking out eight for his seventh win of the season.

The only run Räber (7-3) allowed came after Frank Berchtold reached on second baseman Chris Palatinus' fielding error, advanced on Räber's own misplay of Strahil Georgiev's pop up, and scoring on Ueli von Burg's RBI-single.

But Räber's offense had already built up a 4-0 lead before that as Manny Marchant and Armin Blickenstorfer hit back-to-back solo homers, and Anubis Benitez hit a two-run single off starter Nico Kölliker.

  
Anubis Benitez had game-highs with three hits and five RBI's.
Contrary to the Barracudas, the Challengers' offense kept rolling and produced four more runs in the fourth inning, and extended their lead off Kölliker to 10-1 before coach Jeff Cloos showed mercy and yanked his starter in favor of himself.

He quickly gave up four more runs that put the Challengers up 14-1.

  
Manny Marchant puts his power on display as he hits his second homer of the game to lead off the fifth inning.
Several defensive blunders by the Barracuda defense, especially three of them in the fifth inning, broke the fishs' neck to give the Challengers an easy cruise through most of the game.

With that win, the Challengers have secured themselves a playoff spot, and with only the Zurich Lions and the Embrach Rainbows, both non-contending clubs left to play, second place in the standings should be a realistic hope.

That would secure the Challengers home-field advantage throughout the Playoff Semifinals.

Game notes
Benitez scored his 200th run in a Challenger uniform on Jose Vazquez' RBI-single in the fourth inning. ...The Challengers completed their winningest month in history, going 9-0 in July.

by Chris Palatinus

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