While summer vacation has already begun for many, the Challengers are working extra shifts. Three games that fell victim to the weather in spring will be rescheduled between Wednesday and Saturday evening. Before that, there was a regularly scheduled doubleheader in Bern taking place on Sunday.

The Challengers got two wins, but at least the one in Game 1 was hard work. The game lasted no less than 3 hours and 39 minutes, went into the 11th inning, the Cardinals hit an incredible 20 hits and the Challengers first had to recover from a 1-7 deficit to even make it into the extra innings. That was only possible because the Cardinals made a costly error with two outs in the ninth inning, thanks to which Marco Limacher brought Säntis Zeller home with an RBI single to make it 9-9. In the tenth inning Adam Greenberg set up a good cushion with a 3-run single, while Jayden Jung-Goldberg made it 13-9 with a sac fly. But this time, the Cardinals proved their escape skills. With a full count walk and bases loaded with two outs, they tied the game to a much-celebrated 13-13. However the Challengers were also able to submit in the eleventh inning. Carlos Nepomuceno’s and Säntis Zeller’s Sac Flies gave Zurich a 15-13 lead for good. The home team had no answer for that anymore.

Adam Greenberg had two hits and five RBIs, Leonel Sosa Marte had two hits and three RBIs, and Nick Siemers and Luis Mateo Jimenez scored three runs each.

The second game then lasted only half as long. The Challengers clearly prevailed 14-0. Adam Greenberg and Säntis Zeller each had two hits and three RBI. But the history of the game was written by Challenger’s pitcher Stefan Haltmeier. He gave up just one hit in the fifth inning, earning a one-hit shutout win with five walks and five strikeouts. On Wednesday evening at 6.30 p.m. in the Heerenschürli ballpark the Challengers will meet the Zurich Barracudas for a city derby.