Challengers drop season opener

The Challengers got off to a bad start into the 2008 season.

Hoping to sweep the Reussbuhl Eagles in the first doubleheader, they were brought down to earth by the Eagles‘ new acquisitions of Ryan Rothford and Julio Sierra Bernald.

Bernald collected five RBI’s on a two-run double in the first, and a three-run homer in the fifth inning off starter Thomas Burger that broke a 3-3 tie.

After surrendering three runs in the first inning, the Challengers rallied all day. They got to knuckleballer Jermoe Müller in the second inning on Thomas Landis‘ two-run double with two outs.

After a scoreless third inning, the Challengers tied the game at three on Tobias Siegrist’s RBI-single.

But the Eagles answered with five runs of their own in the top oft the fifth.

None of those runs were earned as second baseman Manuel Schretzmann booted what appeared to be a sure double-play grounder. The inning went on, capped by Bernald’s shot over the left center-field fences.

The Challengers were in shock as they went down in order in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the seventh, the first four batters reached on two singles, a base-on-balls, and a double by Jesus Martinez.

A balk by Müller and Bryan Shemley’s second hit of the game shortened the Eagles‘ lead to 8-6.

The Eagles answered again, this time with a solo homer off Rothford’s bat in the eighth inning.

Harry Bregy relieved Burger for the final 1 1-3 innings, allowing only a walk for the rest of the game.

But the Challengers didn’t find a recipe in the final two innings, going down quietly against an offensively very potent Eagles squad.

Game notes
No. 2 and 3 batters Landis and Siegrist went a combined 6-for-10.