Challengers take Series opener 8-2

Now that the Playoffs have started, Thomas Landis turned it up a notch and threw one of his best games of his career.

	Thomas Landis improved to 8-1 on the season and 10-0 lifetime against the Cardinals.

He threw his first 9-inning complete game in almost three years, and his offense used a big six-run third inning to win Game 1 of the best-of-five Semifinal Series 8-2 against the Bern Cardinals.

With the win, Landis improved to 8-1 on the season, tying his win total from last season.

He also improved to 10-0 lifetime against the Cards, including eight complete games.

The two teams played to a 0-0 tie through the first two innings before Patrick Zöllig reached in the third inning on third baseman Vitus Huber's bad throw to first base.

Anubis Benitez singled, and Harry Bregy plated Zöllig with a run-scoring fielder's choice.

Landis followed with a rare infield bunt-single, and starter Curtis Volk loaded the bases by issuing a base-on-balls to Tobias Siegrist.

Chris Palatinus grounded into a run-scoring fielder's choice, but the Cardinals' defense didn't manage to get the out as second baseman Angelo Rodriguez made a bad throw to shortstop Raphael Hänzi, enabling also Landis to head home with his team's third run.

Nick Lehmann and rookie Chris Hardy followed with back-to-back bunts, both beating the throws from a sleepy Cardinal defense.

Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer's run-scoring ground out put his team ahead 6-0.

The Cardinals answered with one run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, but Landis (8-1) proved to be too strong that day.

	Tobias Siegrist went 2-for-4 to improve his batting average to .433.

He retired the side in order in the fourth inning before the Cards threatened again in the fifth, putting runners at first and third with just one out.

But Landis retired Hänzi and Marco Haas on pop flies to escape the jam.

Benitez' RBI-single and a ground ball error by first baseman Bregy put one run each on the board for both teams in the sixth inning.

Only a total of two batters reached in the next four half innings before yet another error pushed one run across the plate for the Challengers in the top of the ninth inning.

Landis worked the final inning, hitting Sandro Negro with a pitch before retiring the side.

Game 2 will take place at the Heerenschürli tomorrow at 2pm.

Game notes
Landis last threw a nine-inning complete game on September 24, 2000 in Game 5 of the 2000 Finals against the Therwil Flyers. ...Bregy grounded out in his 300rd NLA at-bat in the fourth inning. ...The Challengers hold a 3-2 edge in all the season games against the Cards.