Challengers walk off with 7-6 win after three extra innings

After watching Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader between the Bern Cardinals and the Challengers, one had to fear the worst for the home team.

The reigning Swiss Champions were demoralized in Game 1 by the Cards, but they turned around 180°, and the two teams delivered a fierce battle that went into extra innings.

After 10 innings, the Challengers came out as 7-6 winners thanks to Tobias Siegrist’s bases-loaded RBI-single off John Baum with two outs.

The game saw the Cardinals take the lead three times in the seventh, eighth and tenth inning, and every time the Challengers answered back.

John Baum started on the hill against Oliver Labhart, and both of them took a shutout into the third inning.

In the top of the third, the Cardinals struck first on Raphael Hänzi’s sac fly and an error by third baseman Ramon Perez.

But the Challengers got right back by scoring three times off reliever Severin Fries.

Siegrist had an RBI-single, and Nick Lehmann added a run-scoring fielder’s choice. A throwing error by shortstop Hänzi on Lehmann’s fielder’s choice enabled the Challengers to take the lead at 3-2.

But Hänzi redeemed himself and knotted the score at 3-3 in the top of the fifth by hitting a solo shot off Labhart.

Labhart, who was hit by a grounder in pregame practice just before Game 1, pitched into the sixth inning before being lifted for reliever Anthony Bennett.

He was diagnosed as day-to-day with a bruised nasal bone.

In the top of the seventh, Bennett surrendered an unearned run as Baum hit a bases-loaded RBI-single, giving his team a 4-3 lead.

But Bennett retired the next two batters to keep the damage in check.

Saentis Zeller led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a ground-rule double, chasing Fries for the second time in the game.

Baum again took over and retired the next two batters. With Zeller at third base, Anubis Benitez hit a grounder to second baseman Sandro Negro with what could had been the game-ending out. But Negro tripped and made a wide throw, enabling Zeller to score the tying run and keeping the game alive.

Siegrist followed with a single, and Lehmann struck out, but reached on catcher Vitus Huber’s dropped third strike, loading the bases for Thomas Blank.

But Blank, who struck out in each of his previous three at-bats, popped out weakly to right field to end the threat, sending the game into extra innings.

In the first extra inning, the Cards put two men on thanks to two hit-by-pitches by Bennett, and Negro redeemed himself by hitting an RBI-double for a 5-4 lead.

Hänzi, who was intentionally walked the inning before, grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.

And again, the Challengers came back, scoring one more run against Fries, who was summoned to the mound for the second time in the game to start the eighth inning.

Bennett led off the inning with a sharp single to center field, and after pinch-hitter Vedran Blazevic sacrificed him over to second base, Zeller followed with an RBI-double to tie the score.

With still just one out, both Harry Bregy and Chris Palatinus failed to put an end to the game by getting retired on pop flies.

Only one baserunner reached in the ninth inning before the Cards added more run on the board in the tenth inning.

Gygax and Angelo Rodriguez hit back-to-back doubles to retake the lead at 6-5.

After Bennett led of the bottom half of the inning with yet another single, Baum replaced Fries on the mound once again.

Bennett stole second before pinch-hitter Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer sacrificed him over to third base.

The Cards took the bat out of Zeller’s hand this time, giving him an intentional pass after doubling in his previous two at-bats.

But Bregy followed with an RBI-single that tied the game for the third time in the last four innings.

After Palatinus struck out for the second out, Benitez received a free pass to fill the bases once again.

Up came Siegrist, who already had two singles in the game. And he came through once again, delivering a walk-off game-winning RBI-single.

Game notes
The two teams are tied atop the standings with identical records of 7-3 before heading into the European Cup break. …Zeller is batting .667 (24-for-36) lifetime against the Cardinals.