Challengers beat Cards 10-4, secure at least a tie for 2nd place

The Challengers moved one step closer to finish the regular season in 2nd place by beating the Bern Cardinals 10-4 in game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader.

	Jose Valdez had two homers and now just needs one more to tie Linares' record.

The Challengers used three errors by the Cards' defense to score two runs in the first two innings.

Starter Oli Christen had a good outing, and gave up just a single unearned run in the first four innings.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Challengers blew the game open as they combined five hits with five errors to put six runs on the board for a commanding 9-1 lead.

	Claude Prestegaard was let down by his defense and allowed eight unearned runs.

Jose Valdez' homered for the second time in that inning to give him 21 on the season. He now trails Adris Linares' five-year old single-season record of 22 homers by just one.

Valdez even relieved in the top of the sixth and pitched the final 1 1-3 innings, allowing no more runs to score.

Cardinals starter Claude Prestegaard was roughed up for 10 runs - although just two were earned - on 12 hits and one base-on-balls (an intentional pass to Valdez). He struck out five.

Game Notes: Thomas Landis broke the Challengers' alltime single-season record for doubles with his 18th and 19th doubles of the season.