Barracudas erupt for six runs in eighth, win 9-3

For seven innings, the Zurich derby lived up to its reputation of being a close encounter most of the time.

It took the Zurich Barracudas and the Challengers extra innings to determine the game's winner in which the Barracudas prevailed with a 9-3 victory.

After playing to a 3-3 in regulation, the Barracudas took off on player coach Anthony Bennett in the eighth inning and strung together four hits, and also profited from three errors in the field which led to six runs - three of them unearned.

The Challengers were left helpless against overpowering closer James Sanders who finished the game by throwing three hitless shutout innings.

The Barracudas scored first in the third inning as second baseman Oliver Labhart couldn't handle Sanders' ground ball, leading to an unearned run and the Barracudas' 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Challengers reacted and also profited from defensive blunders by the Barracuda defense, scoring three runs for a 3-1 lead off Ueli Von Burg.

Starter Harry Bregy cruised through the next two innings, still not having given up an earned run through five innings.

But after giving up a single to Farid Bekkali and a base-on-balls to Frank Berchtold to start the sixth inning, coach Bennett replaced Bregy on the mound with rookie Thomas Burger.

But Burger didn't manage to retire the next two batters, giving up an RBI-single to Miguel Conde and a base-on-balls to Strahil Georgiev to load the bases with no outs.

Bennett himself replaced Burger on the mound and started by striking out Fabian Monn on four pitches.

But Ueli Von Burg managed to lift a ball out to the outfield, enabling Berchtold to score the tying run from third base.

The Challengers then had the pleasure to face fireballer Sanders on the mound.

He quickly disposed the Challengers with a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.

The Barracudas managed to get two runners into scoring position with one out in the seventh inning, but Bennett got Berchtold to ground into a slow roller to second baseman Labhart for the second out without Sanders being able to score from third.

Bennett then struck out Conde for the third out.

The Challengers again went down 1-2-3, this time without even getting the ball into play as Labhart, Ramon Perez and Bennett all struck out.

And in the top of the eighth, the Barracudas managed to get to Bennett, hitting two doubles and two singles off him, and also receiveing two walks for a total of six runs.

Sanders picked up the victory by tossing another 1-2-3 inning, striking out two more batters.

Game notes
Tobias Siegrist's strike out in the eighth inning was his 50th in his NLA-career. ...The two teams have gone back and forth in their last six encounters with neither team being able to win two games in a row.