Barracudas again edge Challengers 4-3 in dramatic fashion

The Challengers again came up short in a derby against the Zürich Barracudas, this time losing 4-3 on a passed ball in the final inning.

National team pitchers Ryan Byrne and Andi Rüesch both pitched complete games with Rüesch coming up as winner for the fifth time this season. He allowed three unearned runs on six hits and just one base-on-balls, while also striking out six.

Byrne, on the other hand, gave up four runs – two of them unearned – on seven hits and six walks and three hit-by-pitches, while also striking out a season-high 13 batters.

Chris Michals led the Barracudas’ offense with a double, a sac fly, a run scored, two walks and a stolen base, and Bert Marsnik contributed with two singles, a base-on-balls, a run scored and a steal.

The Challengers jumped on Rüesch in the bottom of the first by scoring three times. First on an obstruction play that scored Robert Sedin from third after third baseman Nelson Santana got into his way on the basepath during a rundown between third and home.

Eidrys Reyes later scored from second on shortstop Josh Crouse’s throwing error on Jesus Martinez’ grounder, and Martinez came around to score on Saentis Zeller’s RBI-double.

It looked as if the Challengers were cruising, but a thunderstorm and an ensuing 30-minute rain delay put a halt to their efforts.

The Barracudas chipped away in the third and fifth innings by scoring one run apiece on a sac fly by Michals and a dropped fly ball by center fielder Harry Bregy on Nderim Coma’s drive with two outs.

The Barracudas went on to load the bases in the fifth with two outs, but Byrne got Alex Bruce to ground out to short to stop the rally.

In the seventh, the Barracudas again loaded the bases with no outs on three consecutive walks. But Byrne escaped the jam by getting Santana to pop out to first and retiring Strahil Georgiev and Rüesch on strikes.

The Challengers followed suit and loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, also with no outs. But Sedin popped out to first, Tobias Siegrist struck out and Reyes flied out to center to end the threat.

Both pitchers retired the side in order in the eighth inning, before Michals reached with a double in the ninth. Coma then drilled an 0-2 offering by Byrne into left field that enabled Michals to score with the tying run. Coma advanced to second on a throw home and then reached third on Santana’s ground out to first. Byrne then uncorked a pitch that catcher Sedin couldn't handle, enabling Coma to score the Barracudas' fourth run.

The Challengers went down 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, and worsening their record to 4-7 in the process.

Game notes
Zeller’s double in the first inning was his 106th of his NLA-career, tying him with Anubis Benitez for fourth place on the Challengers’ alltime leaders. …Thomas Blank singled in his 800th plate appearance in the seventh inning. …Siegrist continues his slump and is now 3-for-30 in his last seven games.