Challengers hand Athletics 6th consecutive loss

The Challengers improved to 5-1 by handing the Richterswil Athletics their sixth loss with a 22-6 trashing.

	Manny Marchant went 4-for-6 with four RBI's to improve his team-leading batting average to .684.

The Challengers again combined for 27 hits like in Game 1, and again 15 of them were for extra bases (10 doubles and five homers).

Thomas Landis did the most damage as he finished with five hits in six at-bats, scoring five runs and batting in another six runs. He hit three homers and now leads all Challengers with six, followed by Manny Marchant who added his fifth round-tripper of the season in the third inning.

The Challengers jumped on starter Pat Steiner by sending 11 batters to the plate in the first inning. Nick Lehmann hit a two-run homer, his first of the season, Francisco Grinan hit a two-run double, and Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer capped the inning with his RBI-double.

Patrick Zöllig started on the mound for the Challengers, but it didn't last long as he was sent to the showers after facing just eight batters. He finished with four runs given up on four hits and two walks and only getting two outs.

He was relieved by Oli Christen who pitched the next 4 1-3 innings, giving up only two runs - one of them unearned - and only two hits and striking out seven to pick up his first win of the season.

	Pat Steiner gave up 19 hits that resulted in 15 earned runs in just four innings.

The Challengers extended their lead in the second inning by scoring four more times on Landis' first homer of the game, a sac fly by Chris Palatinus, and RBI-doubles by Blickenstorfer and Joe Cox.

The Athletics managed to score just twice off Christen in the bottom of the inning to close the gap to 11-6, but that was the closest they could get.

The Challengers ran away by scoring three runs each in the next two innings. Marchant had a three-run bomb, and Landis' second homer scored two more for a 17-6 lead after just four innings.

The fifth inning was the only inning the Challengers were shut out, but they came right back in the top of the sixth to score three more on Landis' second two-run homer and Blickenstorfer's run-scoring fielder's choice.

Landis also got the credit for plating one more runner in the seventh inning with a single.

He also pitched the final two innings, shutting out the Athletics and giving up only two singles, walking one and striking out three.

Game Notes: Blickenstorfer has already five doubles on the season, tying his career high. ...Lehmann scored his 100th career NLA-run when he homered in the first inning. With that homer, he also collected his 50th career RBI in the NLA. ...The Challengers committed a season-low one error.