NLA Game 1, Apr. 02, 11
LIO
3| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Challengers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 6 | 9 | 2 |
| W: Siegrist, T. L: Eugster, A. S: Probst, Y. | ||||||||||||
CHA
6Challengers edge Lions 6-3 in season opener
The Challengers overcame some opening day jitters to beat the newly-promoted Zurich Lions on Opening Day at the Heerenschürli.
Rookie Staub had a 2-run double and a sac bunt in his NLA-debut.
Rookies Carl Conway and Gabe Staub led the Challengers with a combined 3-for-5, including two doubles and three RBI's. Korey Kovac, another rookie, added an RBI-single in his first NLA at-bat.
The Challengers got off to a hot start, scoring three times off Eugster in the bottom of the first. Siegrist opened the scoring with an RBI-single, Conway's sac fly scored him, and Korey Kovac capped the inning with his drive down the right field line.
The Lions got one run back as Carlos Reyes scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
In the third, Staub layed down a perfect bunt, enabling Conway to score from third on a safety squeeze.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Lions squeezed out two runs on two hits and two errors, cutting the Challengers' lead to 4-3.
But the Challengers scored two of their own in the bottom half of the inning on Staub's RBI-double and Yanik Probst's RBI-single.
Chris Palatinus relieved Siegrist on the mound, and pitched two scoreless innings, followed by one scoreless inning each by Thomas Burger and Probst, getting his first career save in the NLA.
Game notes
The Lions returned to the NLA after a 10-year absence. They were 1-27 that year. ...Rafael Sanchez' single in the sixth inning was the 200th hit given up by Palatinus.