Bandits rally and win in final at-bat 9-8

Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader was decided in the final inning as the Jona Bandits upset the Challengers with a 9-8 win.

The Challengers were determined to win the second contest of the doubleheader, as well, but the Bandits had other plans, of course.

Both teams came out firing from the beginning on, with the Challengers taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

Nick Lehmann led off by getting hit by a pitch, and Tobias Siegrist was issued a walk. Two run-scoring ground outs by Saentis Zeller and Anubis Benitez gave the Challengers the lead.

But the Bandits came right back and tied the score on Jose Valdez' run-scoring fielder's choice, and Adris Linares' RBI-single off starter Oli Labhart.

The Challengers retook the lead in the next inning on Ramon Perez' RBI-single, plating Patrick Zöllig.

But again, the Bandits came back and knotted the score at 3-3 due to errors by second baseman Zöllig and shortstop Zeller.

Before the second inning ended, Labhart was finished and was replaced by Zöllig.

He quickly surrendered two more runs in the bottom of the third inning, allowing an RBI-double to Carlos Hernandez and an RBI-single to Manuel D'Amico for 5-3 lead.

The Challengers managed to come back in the fourth inning, executing a perfect squeeze play, and getting an RBI-single by Lehmann.

The Challengers even retook the lead in the fifth inning as Zöllig's single off Stefan Wittweiler scored two more runs.

But the lead shifted back to the Bandits, once again, in the bottom half of the inning.

Valdez hit a sac fly off reliever Thomas Burger, a throwing error by catcher Siegrist tied the game, and a bases-loaded walk to Hernandez forced in the go-ahead run for the Bandits.

The Challengers wasted no time and came right back in the next inning, scoring the tying run on Zeller's RBI-single off Wittweiler.

Then, D'Amico relieved and prevented further damage by striking out Benitez and getting Thomas Blank to foul out to first with two men in scoring position.

There was no score in the next two half-innings.

Linares then led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double to opposite field.

The next batter grounded right back to pitcher Anthony Bennett, who checked back Linares to second.

But first baseman Harry Bregy mishandled Bennett's throw, allowing Linares to advance to third.

After dropping the ball, Bregy picked it up and fired it to third in a vain attempt to nail Linares. But the throw was off target, and Linares raced home with the winning run.

Update 7/6/2005:
Because the Bandits have violated the Licence regulations, the game is forfeited 9-0 to the Challengers.
With that, the Challengers conclude the first phase of the Championship with an 9-3 record.