The NLA-Team also began its championship campaign on Saturday. The Challengers’ home game had to be played at their opponents’ field in Sissach due to construction work at Zurich’s Heerenschürli ballpark. One returning player shone with two grand slams, and a rookie earned his first win.

One player apparently couldn’t wait for the season to start. Carlos Nepomuceno, who missed last season for professional and personal reasons, made his mark on the Challengers’ season opener. In his first at bat as a father, the number four in the lineup hammered the ball over the left-field fence with the bases loaded, giving his team a 4-2 lead that the Zurich team never relinquished. The Frogs, who are now back in the NLA due to the change in format with now seven teams in the NLA, kept the game open for a long time. In the fifth inning they were able to narrow the gap to 3-6 before Nepomuceno stepped up again with the bases loaded in the sixth. And he did it again. Once again, it was a grand slam and four runs for the Challengers. Ultimately the Zurich team won the game 15-3 after seven innings.

In addition to Nepomuceno with his two grand slams and eight RBI, 17-year-old rookie Florin Kämpfer also shone with three hits and three RBI, while Opening Day starter Simon Steffen achieved a complete game win. In seven innings he allowed only four hits, three runs – two earned – and four walks with eight strikeouts.

In the second game of the day the Sissach Frogs also opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. However, the lead once again only lasted until Carlos Nepomuceno got to work. This time, he tied the game with a two-run double in his first at-bat, before Adderly Sarmiento delivered a two-run single to make it 4-2. In the second inning Ryan Byrne tripled and made it 5-2. One inning later Jack Siemers made it 6-2 before the man of the day added an RBI single to make it 7-3.

Florin Kämpfer earned the first win of his career, giving up just one hit and one run in four innings as a reliever, with three walks and five strikeouts. Nepomuceno again led the Challengers offense with two hits and three RBI, while Ryan Byrne and Samuel Rodriguez Bautista each had two hits.