Challengers win season opener 11-4

After postponing the first six games of the season, the Challengers were finally able to open their 2001 season on Sunday.

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Challengers had to travel to Bern to play their home games against the Cardinals, but home-field advantage was no factor as the Challengers won twice, 11-4 and 15-1.

	Benny Räber was more effective on the mound than at the plate, getting his first win with a complete game performance.

The Challenger defense was flawless, playing its first errorless game since the series-clinching Game 5 of the 1999 Swiss Finals against the Therwil Flyers, and the offense produced 10 hits to win Game 1 11-4.

Starter Benny Räber pitched a complete game for his 30th career victory in the NLA, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks, and also striking out four.

The Cards scored twice in the first frame on Severin Fries' RBI-single and Larsen Rodriguez' RBI-double.

But the Challengers came right back on back-to-back walks to Harry Bregy and Chris Palatinus, followed by Thomas Landis' three-run homer to put his team up 3-2 after the first frame.

	Thomas Landis went 2-for-2, including a homer, a sac fly and an intentional walk, and also collected a game-high four RBI's.

After a scoreless second inning, the Challengers added five more runs in the third inning on Roger Brunner's RBI-double, Tobias Siegrist's RBI-single, a bases-loaded walk to Bregy and Palatinus' two-run double for an 8-2 lead.

Meanwhile, starter Räber contained the Cards' offense, allowing just six baserunners from the second through the fifth innnings.

Palatinus' run-scoring ground out and Landis' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth extended the Challengers' lead to 10-2.

The Cards managed to score two runs in the top of the sixth inning on a wild pitch by Räber and Curtis Volk's RBI-triple, but that was all the Cards managed to score off Räber.

Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning by leading off with a solo homer.

Game notes
Leadoff batter Bregy reached base four times on a single and three walks. He also stole a base. ...Shortstop Patrick Zöllig was the only Challenger without a hit, nevertheless getting on base on the only error of the game and reaching twice on fielder choices.