Burger, Challengers cannot handle early deficit

Next year, the Challengers won't be having an NLB-team for the first time since 1996.

	Thomas Burger was tagged with the loss, his fourth of the season.

Last weekend, the second squad of the organisation lost its last game of the season, the very last Championship game of the country this season, to the Thun Hunters.

Probably led for the last time by Orlando Balbuena, Adrian Kämpfer">Adrian Kämpfer and maybe also Willy Schaub, who recorded two RBI's each, the Challengers faced an early 10-run-deficit, as they weren't able to sufficiently back up their struggling starting pitcher, Thomas Burger in either offense or defense.

Burger lasted only 2 2-3 innings, giving up a total of only three hits along with eight walks and four hit batters.

Things started off badly as Hunters youngster Wyss sent Burger's second strike over the center field fences for a two-run home run.

Burger hit the next two batters, and they eventually scored on bases-loaded walks to the no. seven and nine hitters.

A fifth earned run was added in the second inning, while the Challengers only scored twice in the first, suffering from poor baserunning, as all of their first three outs were made on the basepaths.

Back-to-back errors in the third by Schaub and Kämpfer allowed the Hunters to score seven unearned runs off Burger, making his day.

Burger left the mound to rookie Dean Scherbaum, who made his first pitching appearance in the NLB, doing a fine job.

	Orlando Balbuena tied his career-high with five hits.

But despite rallies in the bottom of the third and later the seventh inning, the Challengers couldn't close the gap to their opponents.

They were only outhit by two, but commited a total of nine errors.

And the Hunters showed a good bullpen performance and changed their pitchers in just the right moment, before the C's offense could do too much harm.

While the NLB-veterans on the team were performing at their usual level - Balbuena going 5-for-6 with two linedrives hitting the upper part of the fence and even above it - the younger players couldn't quite catch up with their extraordinary performances, that made the success in Game 2 possible.

While Burger picked a bad day, Oliver Marty went 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI.

The Challengers were also lacking extra-base hits, except Roger Burger's RBI-double in the fourth inning.

Key stat in that last NLB-game turned out to be the offensive power with two outs. While the Hunters combined for seven two-out-RBI's, the home team stayed unproductive in those situations.

With most of the original roster's players promoted to the NLA-team next season, the second squad now can start reshaping, as is the whole organisation.