Challengers tie series at 1-1 with 11-1 win; force 3rd and deciding game

The Challengers didn't want to end their season on Sunday. They went out and prolonged their season by beating the Bern Cardinals 11-1 in Game 2 of their best-of-three Semifinals Series on Sunday.

	Manny Marchant was robbed off two homers by right fielder Jed Leake, but nevertheless extended his hitting streak with a sixth inning double.

Thomas Landis was at his best again, throwing a complete-game victory, allowing just a single run on four hits, five walks and a hit-by-pitch, while also striking out four. Two of Landis' four wins this season have come against the Cards.

The two teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard through the first two innings, before the Challengers profited from two passed balls by catcher Marco Haas that allowed Chris Palatinus and Landis to score the first runs of the game.

Then the Cards quickly loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning on a walk and two singles. Angelo Rodriguez followed with a high popup behind first base that second baseman Palatinus barely caught, still allowing Manuel Sammet to score from third base.

	Severin Fries lasted just 5 1-3 innings, giving up 10 runs - six of them unearned - on nine hits and four walks.

Landis intentionally walked Jed Leake to load the bases again, but Raphael Hänzi hit another pop up to first base to end the threat.

The Challengers then again loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, setting up Palatinus' three-run double with two outs that gave the Challengers a commanding 5-1 lead.

The Cards again threatened in the bottom half of the inning as they loaded the bases again with just one out, but Landis again pitched out of the jam by striking out Haas and getting Curtis Volk to hit into an inning-ending ground out.

The Challengers' firepower was still burning in the next couple of innings, and they also profited from two huge errors by the Redbirds' infield.

With two outs in the top of the fifth, third baseman Larsen Rodriguez threw away Roger Brunner's ground ball that enabled Tobias Siegrist and Harry Bregy to score all the way for a 7-1 lead.

And in the next inning, Landis hit a ground ball to second baseman Angelo Rodriguez that could have easily been a double play, but Rodriguez made a bad relay throw to shortstop Hänzi, and Palatinus scored all the way from first. Landis later scored on Haas' fourth passed ball of the game, and Bregy's RBI-single off reliever Leake capped a three-run inning, giving the Challengers a huge 10-1 lead.

	Harry Bregy contributed with two singles and an RBI after being called out for batting out of order in the second inning.

Landis was untouchable in the last three innings, allowing just a single baserunner as he hit Ron Zimmermann with a pitch.

But Zimmermann was quickly erased as catcher Siegrist picked him off first base after pinch-hitter Lehmann's strike out.

To make sure that the game would end on the 10-run mercy rule after the seventh inning, Landis hit an RBI-single off Leake, handing him his first earned run of the season.

Game 3 will be played at the Heerenschürli next Saturday at 2pm with the momentum on the Challengers' side. They will have no. 1 starter Benny Räber back in the rotation after missing the last two games due to studies.

Game notes
Cardinal baserunners were 0-for-3 in steal attempts as catcher Siegrist combined with second baseman Palatinus to throw out a season-high three runners. Siegrist also set a new career season-high by singling in the fifth inning for his 38th hit of the year. ...Landis popped out to third in the fourth inning in his 900th at-bat in the NLA.