Devils 11, Challengers 9

Beat Eichenberger>

Beat Eichenberger hit his first homer of the season in a losing cause.

The Challengers NLB-team couldn't hold on to a 6-0 lead as they blew the game in the fifth inning when the allowed six runs and eventually lost the first game of the doubleheader against the Wil Devils on Sunday. The Challengers put their runs quickly on the board as they scored twice in the first on a double by catcher Patrick Bosshard. They sent ten batters to the plate in the second inning and scored four runs, mainly on errors by the Devils and a bases loaded walk to Alexis Misailidis that sent Devil starter Studerus to the showers after just 1.1 innings of work.

The score after four innings saw the Challengers still ahead 8-4 but everything went wrong in the top of the fifth. A base-on-balls and an error by Urs Blickenstorfer scored one run for the Devils and two batters later, right fielder Rüegg slapped a pitch by Benny Räber (1-1) deep into the stands for a three-run homer and a tie at 8 apiece. Nussberger later hit a two-run single that put the Devils up for good.

The Challengers only managed to push an unearned run over the plate in the bottom of the fifth, but that was all the offense had to produce in that game.

Räber did a good job keeping his team close in the final innings but without the offensive support he was helpless to see his team lose 11-9 to the Devils.