The NLB-Team played against the Hünenberg Unicorns on Saturday at the Rony field. The Challengers showed a remarkable performance with many juniors in the lineup, but were not rewarded for it, just like the Swiss national soccer team. In the first game the comeback ended with the tying run on third base, and the second game was lost in the last half inning.
The Challengers were behind from the start. But they did so with great fighting spirit and stayed within striking distance until the end. The Central Swiss team built up a 4-1 lead in the first two innings. In the fourth inning however Ben Dickow delivered a leadoff single, followed by an RBI-triple from Thomas Blank, who was able to shorten the score to 3-4 himself after a Unicorns error. The home team stayed on the gas and immediately increased the score to 6-3, but an RBI single from Niilo Benz brought the Zurich team back to 4-6. The Unicorns again created some breathing room and made it 9-4. But this was necessary, because things got dramatic in the seventh inning. Ben Dickow scored the fifth Challengers run after an error, an RBI-single from Daniel Smith made it 6-9 and a 2-run single from Kazuki Sato brought the tying run to third base. But that was all the Challengers could manage.
Ben Dickow stood out for the Challengers with three hits and four runs, while Kazuki Sato and Daniel Smith each had two hits and two RBI.
The guests took the momentum into the second game. Noam Blickenstorfer opened the game with a single, Nick Lehman got on base – of course – with a hit-by-pitch and the eternal Juan Francisco Robles brought both home with a 2-run double. Because Ben Dickow also delivered a 2-run single, it was suddenly 4-0 for the C’s. They defended this lead with all their might and with Juan Francisco Robles performing miracles on the mound. With rain now starting the Challengers were still leading 4-2 after four innings. They were still three outs away from an official game. But the Latin American section of the Unicorns had not planned on losing, however. With two doubles, two singles and two Zurich errors, they turned the game around at the last minute and won the game, which had been shortened to five innings due to rain, 6-4.
