Challengers clubber Unicorns 16-1 to qualify for Playouts

The Challengers had to win Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Hünenberg Unicorns to claim a spot in the NLA-/NLB-Playouts.

	Starter Orlando Balbuena and reliever Claudio Deck combined on a four-hitter, allowing just a single unearned run.

The Challengers sent a clear message and scored four runs in the first inning to jump to an early 4-0 lead off starter Balmer.

And they never looked back after that.

By the time starter Orlando Balbuena was done pitching after three innings, his offense provided him with a comfortable six-run lead.

Reliever Claudio Deck continued where Balbuena led off and retired all three batters he faced in the fourth inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, he helped his own cause and capped a five-run outburst with a two-run double, his first of the season.

The only run he allowed scored after Mosimann reached on an error by second baseman Manuel Schretzmann in the fifth inning.

But his offense again scored five runs in the bottom half of the inning for the final score of 16-1.

Every starter except Willy Schaub had at least one hit.

Thomas Blank went 3-for-4 with three RBI's and three runs scored.

Chris Hardy also went 3-for-4 and scored four runs.

Claudio Deck finished with two doubles and also collected a game-high four RBI's. But more importantly, he was credited with his third win of the year by allowing only a single unearned run on two hits and two walks while also striking out one in four innings of relief.

The team will now face the NLA's Zurich Barracudas and Embrach Rainbows, the NLB's Wil Devils and either the Zurich Lions or Romanshorn Submarines in the Playouts.

Game notes
The NLB-team has already scored 174 runs in 12 games this season, surpassing the 172 scored last year in 20 games. ...The team is on pace for 290 hits. That would shatter the record of 235 hits set back in 1998. ...The team batting average is at .409, topping the record of .396 set way back in 1992.