Frogs 7, Challengers 5

The Sissach Frogs took an early lead and held on for a 7-5 victory over the Challengers' NLA-team in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader at the Heerenschürli.

Frogs starter Traina went the distance in a 7-5 victory, giving up only five hits and striking out two.

Starter Traina of the Frogs went the distance and gave up just five hits, and only one of them for extra bases (Nick Lehmann's solo homer in the 2nd inning).

Both teams scored in each of the first three innings for a score of 5-4 in the Frog's favor. They profited from the Challengers lousy defense as they committed four errors in those first three frames for three unearned runs.

Patrick Bosshard (0-1), making his second start of the season, lasted just two innings. He gave up three runs - two unearned - on four hits and hitting two batters before being lifted for Thomas Landis at the beginning of the third inning.

Landis struggled early on and walked the first two batters he faced. After a single, a balk and an attempted pickoff throw to third base that sailed wide of Anubis Benitez, the Frogs took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the third.

Saentis Zeller>

Saentis Zeller eludes the tag from Mike Klee as he scores the Challengers' first run.

The Challengers got two runs back in the third on RBI-singles by Landis and Benitez to cut the Frogs' lead to 5-4.

No runs scored in the fourth inning, but the Frogs managed to score two more in the top of the fifth.

Brich got on on an error by first baseman Jose Valdez, Mike Klee got a base-on-balls and Landis loaded the bases by giving up a single to Wick. Alessandro Traina then laid down a two-run double for a 7-4 lead.

Nick Lehmann couldn't help watching the Frogs take a 7-4 lead after Alessandro's two-run double in the 5th inning.

The Challengers were completely shut down by Traina's pitching finesse and the outstanding Frogs' defense that committed just one error and helped Traina with diving catches in the outfield and superior fielding in the infield.

The Frogs were able to beat once again a team that is headed for the playoffs after beating the Swiss Champions Barracudas two weeks ago.

No Challengers had more than one hit and more than one RBI. Lehmann's homer was his first this season.