Challengers finish regular season with 22-0 shutout of Rainbows

Roger Brunner pitched the first shutout by a Challenger in over a decade as he allowed only two hits in six innings in a 22-0 win in Game 2 against the Embrach Rainbows on Sunday.

	Patrick Zöllig collected a season-high three RBI's.

Brunner's extraordinary pitching performance was backed by a strong defense that played a flawless game for just the second time this season. The only other errorless game this season was the season opener against the Bern Cardinals on April 29.

After giving up a single to Albrecht in the bottom of the second inning, Brunner (2-0) retired the final 13 batters he faced in order. He now has pitched two complete games this season, giving up only one earned run for a miniscule ERA of 0.69 in 13 IP.

The Challengers led just 1-0 before Patrick Zöllig started the third inning with a single that sparked an eight-run outburst to put the game out of reach for the Rainbows.

DH Jose Valdez hit solo homers in both the fourth and fifth innings to give him three homers in the doubleheader.

	Joselito Vazquez hit his fourth homer of the season in the top of the sixth inning.

The Challengers then made sure that the game would be called after six innings due to the double-mercy rule, and sent 13 batters to the plate to pull away 22-0.

Harry Bregy hit a two-run double, his team-leading 12th double of the season, Zöllig had a run-scoring ground out, Thomas Landis hit an RBI-single, Valdez collected his fifth RBI of the game with a sac fly to right field, Manny Marchant had an RBI-double, and Jose Vazquez capped the inning with a two-run homer, his fourth of the season.

The Challengers finished the regular season with a convincing 22-5 record by winning the last 17 games. They trail the Therwil Flyers by 1.5 games, the slimmest margin after the regular season in the last three seasons.

Game notes
Valdez' sac fly tied the club record for most sacrifices in a single season at 18. ...Bregy doubled in his 150th NLA at-bat in the third inning. ...Marchant has a team-leading 14-game hitting streak. ...Chris Palatinus set a new career-high by scoring his team-leading 45th run of the season in the sixth inning.