Challengers drop fifth in a row

Five months after opening the season, the Challengers and Sissach Frogs met again to conclude the regular season with a doubleheader at the Heerenschürli.

The surprising front-runners from Sissach showed why they're atop the standings, playing solid baseball both on offense, as well as on defense.

In the end, they came out as winners in a well-played 3-2 ballgame.

Alessandro Traina pitched two innings in relief of starter Claudio Heim and picked up the win, allowing no runs and only two hits.

Johnny Bassett pitched the final three innings for the save, allowing only three more hits, two of them by Tobias Siegrist.

Siegrist finished the game with a game-high three hits, raising his batting average to .349.

The Frogs built up a small 2-0 lead after two innings on an RBI-single by Heim in the first inning and a throwing error by second baseman Saentis Zeller.

But that lead was erased in the bottom half of the second frame on left fielder Steve Klee's misplay and a run-scoring ground out by Chris Palatinus.

That 2-2 tie stood until the fifth inning.

Until then, starter Harry Bregy kept the Frogs' offense under control and retired four batters in a row before Bassett opened the fifth with a double.

He was plated by Markus Schaffner with a single between second and third.

Schaffner already had the game-winning hit in the Frogs' last game against the Bern Cardinals.

And this time, it was also the difference in the game as the Challengers found no recipe against Bassett's pinpoint control.

They had only four baserunners in the final three innings, extending their losing streak to five games.

Although the Challengers outhit the Frogs 7-6, it wasn't enough to overcome Bregy's six walks given up plus the three errors by the defense.

Game notes
Siegrist was walked for the 100th time in his career as he received a free pass by Alessandro Traina in the third inning.