Cardinals win in final two innings 14-10

The Challengers matched the Bern Cardinals over seven innings, but then lost it 14-10 in the final two innings.

John Baum and Jhonny Perigos wrote the tune of the game, as they were a combined 7-for-10 with 10 RBI's.

Vitus Huber scored five times and Raphael Hänzi added four runs as the top four batters of the Cards' lineup did all the work.

Starter Chris Palatinus lasted seven innings, his longest outing since hurling seven one-hit innings against the Challengers' B-team on September 10, 1995. He left the mound after Huber's leadoff single with the game tied at 8 apiece in the top of the eighth.

Reliever Tobias Siegrist took over, but quickly loaded the bases with back-to-back walks. Jhonny Perigos followed with a double to deep right field, scoring both Huber and Hänzi. Two batters later, Rudi Vargas lined a single up the middle to score two more for a 12-8 lead.

By that time, Cardinals' starter Christoph Beyeler was gone after giving up eight runs on six hits and eight walks in 4 2-3 innings. He was replaced by newly-acquired Andrea Girasole.

He pitched out of a jam in the fifth inning by retiring Siegrist on a ground out. He also escaped a jam in the eighth inning as the Challengers put two runners in scoring position with just one out. But Girasole got both Siegrist and Thomas Landis to ground out without further damage.

In the ninth, the Cardinals tacked on two insurance runs on Baum's RBI-double, and Perigos' sac fly to center.

The Challengers managed to get both runs back on Landis' RBI-single and a wild pitch by Girasole.

Once again, they had two runners in scoring position with just one out. But Girasole once again got out of it by retiring Tom Huston and Jesus Martinez on two weak pop ups.

In the end, the Challengers were 4-for-19 with runners in scoring position, with a total of 15 runners left on base.

Game notes
Palatinus tied Gustavo Salami for games started with 15 for 10th place on the all-time list.