Barracudas rally in 9th to salvage split

Scoring in just two innings was enough for the Zurich Barracudas to win Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader 9-8.

Starter Harry Bregy cruised through the first five innings, shutting down the opponent on just one hit, a double by Farid Bekkali in the fourth inning.

In the meantime, his offense put three runs on the board on Tobias Siegrist's two-run single in the third and a throwing error by third baseman Carlos De Los Santos. With Chris Palatinus standing on third, he fielded Geovanni Ureña's slow roller cleanly and tried to nail Palatinus at home, but his throw was late and off target.

By that time, Dominic McNulty took over on the mound for Frank Berchtold, who lasted 5+ innings.

In the bottom half of the inning, Bregy lost it as he didn't manage to retire a single batter. Two singles, a walk, a double and an error by shortstop Saentis Zeller already pushed two runs across the plate and left the bases jammed for McNulty, who drove the second pitch out of the park for a grand salami and a 6-3 Barracudas lead.

Ureña relieved Bregy and did a fine job over the next three innings, allowing no more runs.

The Challengers got back into the game by scoring once in the seventh inning and a four-run outburst in the top of the ninth.

Landis grounded into a run-scoring fielder's choice, and back-to-back hit-by-pitches to Siegrist and Palatinus quickly filled the bases.

Blank plated Landis with a sac fly to right, and Ureña scored two more with a single up the middle for an 8-6 lead.

Marc Schnider led off the bottom half of the frame by hitting a solo homer off Ureña.

Another error by Zeller and an RBI-double later, the Cudas had tied the game with still nobody out.

Coach Andy Fleischacker decided to intentionally walk De Los Santos to set up a potential inning-ending double play, but with Colindres at third, Nderim Coma lifted a high fly ball to right field.

Roger Burger caught the ball and made a fine throw home, but catcher Siegrist wasn't able to hold on to the ball as it shorthopped in front of the plate, giving the Barracudas the 9-8 win.

The Challengers have nevertheless secured second place in the standings, giving them home-field advantage throughout the Semifinals.

Game notes
Thomas Landis singled in his 200th at-bat against the Barracudas in the third inning. ...Siegrist singled in his 100th at-bat against the Barracudas in the third inning. He has now also scored a career-high 33 runs in a season. ...Zeller set a new career-high by hitting 13 doubles in a season. ...Palatinus kept his 17-game hitting streak alive by singling with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.