Challengers blow lead in final inning, lose 5-3

The Challengers couldn't hold on to their slim lead, losing 5-3 in the final inning against the Zurich Barracudas in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader.

Reliever Thomas Landis wasted Andy Fleischacker's fine performance on the hill, blowing the save and allowing three opponents to score in the seventh inning.

Marc Schnider added two more hits, giving him a total of seven hits in the doubleheader, Strahil Georgiev also had two hits, and JT Schroeder picked up the win by tossing 4 1-3 innings in relief.

The Barracudas went ahead in the opening inning as shortstop Saentis Zeller mishandled Chico Colindres' ground ball and threw wide off first base, enabling both Schnider and Schroeder to score.

Fleischacker retired the next five batters on ground balls, and allowed only two more runners to reach as far as third base in the next five innings.

His outstanding performance was rewarded by his offense that scored three times off Benni Montag. Thomas Blank hit an RBI-double in the second inning, his first of the season, Tobias Siegrist had an RBI-single in the third, and eventually scored on a successful first-and-third play with Chris Palatinus.

After that, JT Schroeder took over, and pretty much shut down the Challengers' offense. Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer was the only batter to get a hit off him as he doubled to right field in the fourth inning.

Zeller was the only other Challenger to reach second base as he drew a walk in the fifth frame and went on to steal second base.

After that, Schroeder retired the final nine batters in order.

In the top of the seventh, Fleischacker sent Landis to the mound to close out the game.

But Landis hit the first batter he faced, Charles Brown, and Schnider put him in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Schroeder grounded into a 1-5 fielder's choice that got Brown at third for the second out, leaving the Challengers with high hopes of salvaging a split.

But Landis hit Chico Colindres with a pitch, and Andy Rüesch followed with an RBI-single to right field to tie the game.

With runners at first and third now, the Barracudas tried to steal second base, which succeeded as catcher Siegrist's throw sailed into the outfield, enabling Colindres to score the go-ahead run.

The throw back to the infield then was mishandled by Landis as his throw to the plate to nail Rüesch was wide, giving the Barracudas a 5-3 lead.

The Challengers couldn't respond, leaving them now with a negative 5-7 record.

Game notes
Saentis Zeller's single in the first inning was his 300th hit in the NLA. ...Siegrist has collected his 241st RBI in the NLA, tying Anubis Benitez for 4th place on the alltime list.