Barracudas win Game 1 3-2 in extras

The Challengers squared off with the Zurich Barracudas in Game of this year’s Semifinals, and it took the two teams 11 innings to determine a winner.

Swiss National Team pitchers Andi Rüesch and Tobias Siegrist went head-to-head for more than nine innings, with the Barracudas walking off with a 3-2 win.

Reliever Harry Bregy was charged with the loss as he came on to relieve in the bottom of the 11th inning and allowed Shane Uhle to reach on a single to right with one out, followed by Nderim Coma’s sacrifice bunt to third to move Uhle into scoring position.

Hasson Rogers hit a flare up the middle that was cut off by second baseman Carlos Nepomuceno, but his inability to control the grounder enabled Uhle to round third and score the winning run.

Siegrist went 10 innings in which he threw 141 pitches, allowing two runs – one of them unearned - on four hits and four walks, while also striking out 11.

The Barracudas scored first as they manufactured a run on a base-on-balls, a single and a double, all with two outs.

The Challengers came back and profited from Rüesch’s control problems, putting three men on on two hit-by-pitches and a walk, eventually scoring one of them on a wild pitch.

The Barracudas retook the lead in the third inning on a throwing error by catcher Rob Sedin, followed by Chris Michals’ sacrifice fly to center.

That 2-1 score held up until the eighth inning as the Challengers wasted several scoring opportunities, while Siegrist, on the other hand, mowed down the opposing lineup, retiring nine straight at one point.

In the top of the eighth, pinch-hitter Carlos Nepomuceno laced a two-out opposite field RBI-single to tie the game at 2-2.

Both teams managed to put a runner each at second base in the tenth inning, but neither of them scored.

Reliever Roger Savoldelli pitched a perfect 11th inning, giving his team a chance to win it in the bottom half of the inning, which they finally did.

Game notes
Siegrist has pitched 10 innings or more three times in his career, twice against the Therwil Flyers and once against the Barracudas. His 11 strikeouts are the most since striking out 12 in seven innings on July 27, 2010 against the Sissach Frogs. …Nepomuceno’s pinch-hit single was the Challengers' only hit in 10 chances with runners in scoring position.