Frogs drop Challengers 15-9, take season series 3-1

The Challengers received another big damper for their playoff run, losing Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader 15-9 to the Sissach Frogs.

The loss drops the Challengers to 14-9, making their remaining games virtually all must-wins.

The game was a display of poor Challengers fielding and pitching. The offense did its part with 12 hits, but the pitching staff conceded 17 hits, while the defense committed three errors.

The Frogs scored in every inning at least twice, while The Challengers amassed their nine runs in the second and third innings.

The game was tied at 9-9 after just three innings, and both starters were already removed by that time. Patrick Maier of the Challengers lasted only 1 2-3 innings, giving up six runs on six hits and two walks. Nelson Vilomar of the Frogs was removed in the third inning after serving up Jay Casimiro's solo blast to center field.

Yonimiler Martinez tossed the next 2 1-3 innings, while Santo Pena went the rest of the game for the Frogs. But Martinez yielded five runs, one of them on a solo homer by Christian Klarer.

Palatinus took over to start the fifth, but had to be removed after failing to get any of the four batters he faced. Siegrist, who pitched seven innings in the first encounter, was summoned to the mound, and he quickly retired the next two batters to start the bleeding.

But the Frogs had already built up a 13-9 lead, and the Challengers offense looked lost against Pena who allowed only two runners to reach third base in his four innings of work.

The Challengers will face the Zurich Barracudas next Wednesday. The winner of that game will most likely claim the final playoff spot as both teams play their final games against the front-running Therwil Flyers. The Challengers will play them four times, while the Barracudas play the regular season finale with two games at the Heerenschürli on September 5.

Game notes
The game was the 600th in franchise history since 1984.