Challengers blow 8-2 lead, eventually lose 9-8

The Challengers' NLB-team tried to continue where they left off last weekend as they took on their city rivals Lions in a doubleheader on Saturday at the Heerenschürli.

	Claudio Deck pitched well enough to get the win, but came up with a no-decision.

The Challengers started well and built up a 5-2 lead after just two innings as they profited from a couple of defensive errors and a shaky pitching performance by starter Armando Vignotto.

Orlando Balbuena hit a two-run single, and Beni Blank had a run-scoring groundout, and the rest of the runs scored on a wild pitch and a passed ball.

The Challengers extended their lead to 8-2 in the top of the fourth inning on a run-scoring ground out by Tobias Siegrist, an RBI-double by Thomas Blank and an RBI-single by Balbuena.

But then the Challengers laid back and hoped that starter Claudio Deck would grant them an easy victory.

	Tobi Siegrist blew an 8-5 lead in the fifth inning and eventually took the loss.

But Deck started to tire in the bottom half of the fourth inning as he allowed two runs on an RBI-double by Miguel Conde and an RBI-single by André Eugster.

Shortstop Beni Blank then committed two errors in the bottom of the fifth that chased Deck.

Siegrist relieved with the score at 8-5. But his defense didn't help him as catcher Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer dropped a third strike on Urs Köstinger and couldn't get the out at first base.

Five batters later, Siegrist's save was blown and the Lions had taken a 9-8 lead.

With Vignotto improving as the game went on, the Challengers went down 1-2-3 in each of the final three innings, and the Challengers lost for the first time in three years against the Lions.