Challengers score four runs in sixth, win 11-7

Last week, it took the Challengers four innings to get going. This time, it even took them six innings as they scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Sissach Frogs in an 11-7 win.

	Benny Räber completed his first game of the season to pick up his second win.

Thomas Landis' two-run double, a passed ball and an RBI-single by Manny Marchant in the sixth inning put the game out of reach for the Frogs after they had tied the score at 7-7 in the top half of the inning.

The Frogs took an early 3-0 lead off Benny Räber after just 1 1/2 innings, but the Challengers came back in the bottom of the second inning to get ahead 4-3 on Kurt Kovac's RBI-single, Patrick Zöllig's RBI-double, a steal home by Zöllig a couple of pitches later, and a fielding error by the Frogs second baseman Alessandro Traina.

The Frogs managed to tie the game in the following inning on a sac fly, but the Challengers regained a 5-4 lead on Harry Bregy's RBI-single in the bottom of the fourth.

But the Frogs didn't surrender and knotted the score again at 5-5 on a run-scoring ground out.

	Roger Brunner hit two doubles and increased his batting average to .615.

Jose Valdez then lifted an offering from starter Widmer over the center field fences for a two-run homer - his second of the season - to put his team ahead 7-5.

And the Frogs again came back, scoring twice on Schaffner's two-run double with two outs that tied the score at 7-7.

But the Challengers exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach, giving Räber (2-0) his second win in his first complete game this season. He allowed seven runs - one unearned - on seven hits and five walks, while also striking out one batter.

Game notes
Anubis Benitez' single in the fourth inning - his only hit in the doubleheader - was his 400th total base with the Challengers in the NLA. ...Brunner's second double in the fourth inning gave him his 300th total base of his NLA-career. ...Räber's complete game was his 20th of his NLA-career. He needs one more to tie Vladi Pusec for second place on the Challengers' all-time list. ...Valdez' homer was his 60th of his NLA-career with the Challengers.