Challengers 10, Lions 6

The Challengers closed out their season with a convincing 10-6 win in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Zurich Lions.

Benny Räber>

Starter Benny Räber worked 6 1-3 innings, giving up just five runs - three of them unearned - on five hits, five walks and striking out eight.

The Challengers trailed the Lions early on, but then profited from several errors in the field.

The Lions scored in the first inning off Benny Räber on Chatzis' run-scoring ground out for a 1-0 lead.

The Challengers were able to tie it in the bottom of the second on Patrick Bosshard's solo homer to lead off the inning. It was his first homer in the NLB this season.

The Lions then went ahead in the top of the third as the Challengers committed two costly errors. Pietscher scored after Kölliker reached on Bosshard's throwing error, and Cannistra scored on a run-scoring ground out by Welti. Sterchi added an RBI-single, and the Challengers suddenly trailed 4-1.

The Lions' offense couldn't profit from the seven errors committed by the Challengers.

The Challengers put their second run on the board on Labhart's RBI-single that scored Räber who reached on a double to cut their deficit to 4-2.

But the Lions got the run back in the next inning on yet another error by the Challengers' defense to go ahead 5-2.

But then the Challengers took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning as they sent eight batters to the plate who scored four times. Nick Lehmann had a two-run double, Räber added an RBI-single and scored on pitcher Kölliker's throwing error to first base.

The Lions had no answer to the Challengers' offensive outburst and Räber made sure that his team would keep the lead.

Willy Schaub>

Willy Schaub hits his second double of the season, a two-run hit in the fifth.

And the Challengers doubled their output in the fifth inning as they added again four runs to take a commanding 10-5 lead. Oliver Labhart singled to lead off the inning and scored after Bosshard reached on an error.

Bosshard was thrown out at second after he tried to steal second, but Patrick Zöllig followed with a walk and rookie Manu Schretzmann reached on yet another error.

After Lehmann struck out for the second out of the inning, Räber followed with his third hit of the game, an RBI-single up the middle. He and Schretzmann scored on Willy Schaub's two-run double, only his second double of the season.

Starter Räber (3-1) was relieved in the top of the seventh with one out by Bosshard, who consequently retired the two batters he faced for a 10-6 Challengers win.

The Challengers' NLB-team finished the season with an overall record of 12-8, slightly better than their last year's record of 4-11.

Tobias Siegrist wins the batting crown with a .522 average. He also led all NLB-players with 35 hits, 31 RBI's, 12 doubles, 50 total bases, a .746 slugging percentage and a .549 on-base percentage.

Harry Bregy again is the best base-stealer with 31 steals and scored the most runs with 30. He also leads all NLB Challengers pitchers with four wins, one save, 11 games, 6 starts, 3 complete games and 42 1-3 innings pitched.

Räber gains the ERA title with a fine 3.72 mark in 29 innings pitched.

Räber and Thomas Blank shared first place with three homers each.