Sedin strikes out 20 in 8-0 shutout

Robert Sedin set a new Challengers single game record by striking out 20 batters.

He did so against the Zurich Lions in Thursday's Night Game at the Heerenschürli. The only hit he gave up came on a bunt single by the number nine batter Phillip Grimm to lead off the third inning.

Sedin also gave up four walks and two hit-by-pitches, but his Game Score of 101 shattered Thomas Landis' previous record of 90, set way back on September 10, 1995 in a Relegation Round matchup between the Challengers' NLA- and NLB-teams.

Part of being able to achieve this goal was the inability of the Challengers' offense to put away the Lions based on the 10-run mercy rule, seeing the game being played to its full entirety of nine innings.

Sedin is sitting on 67 strikeouts through 43 innings pitched, putting him in line to break Landis' single-season record of 118 strikeouts in 107 innings in 1997.

Bryan Shemley continued his torrid hitting, reaching four times on two hits and two walks, raising his batting average to .364, 88 points above his career average.

Eidrys Reyes went 3-for-3 coming off the bench, giving him a .450 batting average which puts him into second place in the entire NLA.

Game notes
The previous franchise record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in a single game was 15, set by Sedin himself twice on September 2, 2012 against the Bern Cardinals and on June 26, 2012 against the Zurich Barracudas, and by Benny Räber on August 8, 1999 against the Sissach Frogs. ...Reyes' 27 hits rank second only behind Therwil's Josh Tamba's total of 28. ...Siegrist has reached base safely in every game so far this season, extending his team-leading hitting streak to 15 games.