Challengers throw away Game 1, lose 3-2

Roger Brunner again threw a fine performance, but it wasn't enough as the Zürich Barracudas profited from a couple of Challenger errors and shut down the opponents' offense in a 3-2 victory on Sunday.

	Harry Bregy drove in the only runs for the Challengers with his fourth-inning two-run single.

Brunner matched up against National Team member Ueli Von Burg, and the two had a fine duel going through four innings.

The Barracudas scored first as second baseman Thomas Blank couldn't handle Manuel Hirtz' blooper in front of him.

Hirtz and two of the next three batters went on to score three unearned runs off Brunner.

The Challengers managed to get two runs back as Harry Bregy lined a two-out two-run single up the middle, cutting his team's deficit to 3-2.

But it wasn't enough, and the Barracudas' strategy worked their way as they were able to summon closer James Sanders from the bullpen to shut the door.

He did just that, striking out six of the ten batters he faced, while allowing Nick Lehmann as the only batter to reach with a base-on-balls.

	Barracuda closer James Sanders again was on top of his game

On the Challengers' side, Brunner (1-1) completed his game, allowing three runs - all of them unearned - on six hits and no walks, while also striking out four.

He lowered his ERA to 0.60 in the process.

The Challengers wasted a good scoring opportunity in the second inning as Blank fell victim to a first-and-third trick pickoff play by Von Burg.

The Barracudas' defense played an errorless game, giving the Challengers no chance to profit from any misplays.

All in all, the game featured eight players from the Swiss National Team that will compete in this year's B-Pool European Championships in Germany: Von Burg, Nderim Coma and Farid Bekkali from the Barracudas, and Thomas Landis, Tobias Siegrist, Patrick Zöllig, Anubis Benitez and Bregy from the Challengers.

Game notes
Landis' hitting streak ended at 23 games - dating back to May 04, 2003 - as he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. ...Chris Palatinus tied Enrico Zingg for 4th place on the alltime list for doubles by hitting one off Ueli Von Burg in the first inning. ...Brunner doubled in the fourth inning. It was the 15'000th at-bat in Challengers history.