Challengers stun Frogs 13-7 with 21 hits

Tobias Siegrist overcame home runs by John Baum and Taylor Eichhorst in a 13-7 victory over the Sissach Frogs in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Baum and Eichhorst hit back-to-back homers in the third inning, but the Challengers were already leading 8-1 before that, profiting from Tobias Imboden’s lack of control and a big error in the first inning by shortstop Raciel Rodriguez that led to two unearned runs and paved the way for the Challengers’ success.

Siegrist went the distance and allowed seven runs - two of them unearned - on 12 hits and one base-on-balls (an intentional pass to Eichhorst), while also striking out eight.

But he also provided the offensive spark as he went 3-for-6 with his first homer of the season and two doubles, collecting four RBIs and scoring three times. Gabriel Holguin had four hits for the second time this season, and both Robert Sedin and Jesus Martinez added three hits each in a 21-hit attack.

The team’s offensive success was based on timely hitting as they went 9-for-26 with RISP, and also collected 10 RBIs with two outs, the highest such total since getting 11 on July 22, 2001 against the Zurich Lions.

Game notes
Siegrist’s homer was his first since May 16, 2015 against the Wil Devils and tied him with Saentis Zeller, Roger Brunner and Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer for 7th place on the Challengers’ all-time list with 32. His eight total bases tie his career-high, set on May 28, 2000 against the Devils. …Martinez’ double in the first inning was his 50th with the Challengers in the NLA. …Sedin’s three doubles were the most in a single game since he also did it on May 16, 2015 against the Devils. …The Challengers totaled 21 hits in a game for the third time this season already. …The 48 at-bats were the most since also getting 48 against the Frogs on June 21, 2009.