Challengers outlast Cards in 12-10 win

The Challengers overcame a seven-run third inning by the Bern Cardinals in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader to win 12-10.

Brian Hipps became the first NLA-player to belt a home run out of the new Heerenschürli ball park in a 2-for-4 performance, including three RBI's. It was a line drive on a Tobias Imboden offering that cleared the right field wall by two meters.

Hipps, who turned 30 the day before, dedicated his homer to his dad who was at hand for the game visiting him from San Diego.

Yonimiler Martinez had a game-high three hits, including two doubles, and Tobias Siegrist picked up his third win of the season by going the distance. Only two of the 10 runs he allowed were earned.

Newly-acquired Jay Casimiro from the Lausanne Indians was used as a subsitute for catcher Chris Palatinus, throwing out the first potential basestealer.

The Challengers went ahead in the bottom of the second inning on back-to-back RBI-singles by Thomas Blank and rookie Yanik Probst.

But the Cards stormed back in the top of the next inning, but only thanks to Hipps' defensive blunder at first base.

With one outs, he muffed a routine throw, followed by a sac fly by Sam Paulino which would have been the third out.

But the Cards kept pounding the ball, adding four singles, a double, a walk and another error that led to seven unearned runs in the inning.

The Challengers didn't hesitate to take back control of the game by scoring eight times in the bottom half of the inning.

Back-to-back RBI-doubles by Yonimiler and Jesus Martinez and a two-run single by Bryan Shemley brought the Challengers back within a run.

Probst flew out to left with what would have been the third out, but shortstop Paulino misplayed Blank's grounder a batter earlier, and the inning kept going.

Thomas Landis singled and Brian Hipps followed with the Challengers' first homer of the season for a 10-7 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, Casimiro subbed Palatinus behind the dish and threw out Paulino who led off by reaching on shortstop Probst's fielding error.

John Baum followed with a single and eventually scored on Raphael Hänzi's sacrifice fly.

But that just started a string of 11 consecutive retired batters by Siegrist.

In the meantime, the Challengers added two insurance runs in the sixth inning on yet another RBI-double by Yonimiler Martinez and an RBI-single by Palatinus.

The Cards quickly loaded the bases in the top of the eighth inning on three consecutive singles, but only two of them scored on a ground out and a passed ball.

Trailing 12-10 going into the ninth inning, Hänzi led off by hitting a deep line drive to left center field. A communication error by center fielder Landis and left fielder Jesus Martinez enabled Hänzi to reach safely, but eventually got thrown out at third trying to stretch his hit.

That killed the Cards' final hopes as Angelo Rodriguez and Miro Bussmann both grounded out to end the game.

Game notes
Siegrist has recorded three wins against the Cardinals in his NLA-career, the most against any team he faced.