Challengers outplay Devils 14-3 to go up 2-0 in Promotion round

The Challengers followed their success in Game 1 with another brilliant display of power in Game 2.

	Thomas Blank went 3-for-4 including two doubles, three runs scored and one RBI.

The Challengers avenged their two regular season losses against the Wil Devils by sweeping Sunday's doubleheader with a 14-3 win in Game 2.

They outhit their opponents 16-7 and committed only two errors, compared to nine by the Devil defense.

A quick three-run first inning paved the way for the Challengers' victory.

Chris Hardy scored on an error by catcher Studerus, Thomas Blank hit a sac fly to score Manuel Schretzmann, and Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer capped the inning with his first of two doubles that scored Orlando Balbuena from second.

The Devils gradually came closer by scoring one run each in the second and third innings off starter Willy Schaub.

	Andy Fleischacker and Chris Palatinus guided the Challengers to their second win in the Promotion Round.

But six runs in the bottom half of the inning where already enough to demoralize an agonizing Devil squad.

Balbuena hit a run-scoring ground out, Oliver Deck had an RBI-single, and with two outs, Hardy connected for his second homer of the season that scored Schaub and Deck.

The Devils now faced reliever Balbuena who already picked up the win in the first contest, and they were rattled by the Dominican's mix of fastballs and changeups.

They managed to score only a single run in his three innings of work. And that run scored on a balk by Balbuena himself.

	Oli Labhart hit his second homer of the year, but dropped his batting average to .523.

The Challengers continued to rip starter Isenring who went on to throw a complete game.

Oliver Labhart's second homer of the season scored two runs for the Challengers in the fourth inning, and Balbuena did the same in the next inning with his team-leading third four-bagger.

A throwing error by shortstop Nussberger enabled the Challengers to score one more run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Devils were then shut out by reliever Labhart who threw a perfect seventh inning to seal the victory.

Balbuena (2-1) was credited with the victory after picking up his first win of the season in Game 1.