by John Baum
CARDINALS ARE ONE WIN AWAY FROM WINNING FOURTH CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER DRAMATIC NINTH INNING COMEBACK IN GAME TWO VERSUS INDIANS
Lausanne Indians – Bern Cardinals 5-15
CAR 024 110 106 15 IND 011 003 000 5
Game one saw the Cardinals defeat the Indians 15-5 thanks to a complete game victory for Severin Fries. Fries would allow only two earned runs in the game, while quieting the mighty Indians offense. The Cards were led offensively by John Baum, 3-5; 2 2B, 5 RBI; and Samuel Paulino 4-5. The Cards victory was never really in doubt after they raced out to an early 9-2 lead. The Indians did score three unearned runs to make it a 9-5 game, but that was as close as they would come. The Cardinals busted the game wide open scoring six times in the ninth inning to finish off the home team 15-5.
Bern Cardinals – Lausanne Indians 10-9
IND 002 001 231 9 CAR 000 112 006 10
Game two featured a fine pitching performance from Chris Beyeler for the Cardinals. Chris would keep his team in the game while his defense did its’ best to make his day difficult. Beyeler pitched six strong innings, allowing only four hits, while striking out seven Indians, leaving the game with his team 4-3 ahead.
The game went back and forth through the first seven innings with the Indians holding leads in the third inning, 2-0; and the fifth inning at 3-2. The Cards took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning, scoring two times on a two-out triple from Fries. In the top of the seventh inning Baum took over for Beyeler on the hill looking to convert the save. Baum was surprisingly knocked around by the visitors, allowing five runs and nine hits in three innings of work! The poor pitching performance looked to put the visitors in a position to even the series at 1-1. The Cards were unable to cut into the lead in the seventh and eighth innings, going into the bottom of the ninth trailing 9-4.
This is when the Cards started catching their breaks. A leadoff walk to Paulino, a bunt single for Baum, and an infield single from Johnny Perigos scoring Paulino with the first run of the inning. With runners on first and second, Raphael Hanzi hit what looked to be a fielder’s choice to the shortstop but the ball was dropped by the second baseman, loading the bases with no one out. Tobias Imboden and Ronnie Zimmermann drew back-to-back run-scoring walks, plating Baum and Perigos, leaving the tying run on second, with the score at 9-7. Chris Beyeler would come up and knot the game at 9-9 as he hit a two-run single down the left field line! Baum would then send pinch hitter Lexu Walchli to the plate to bunt the winning run to third. Walchli would do just that and more as his bunt found its’ way between the pitcher and third baseman for a hit. This once again loaded the bases, bringing to the plate Severin Fries, he would not disappoint, sending a single to right scoring Zimmermann with the winning run and completing what has to be one of the most dramatic playoff wins in Swiss baseball history! The final score of 10-9 leaves the Cards up 2-0 in the best-of-five final.
The Cardinals have now won their last eight finals games, and are 18-2 in the playoffs since 2005! The win puts the Bern boys in position to become only the second team in Swiss baseball history to 4-peat. The first being the 1994 Therwil Flyers as they were nearing the end of five consecutive titles!
The Cards would like to thank all of our fans for coming out and being part of such an amazing win! We look forward to seeing you at the Allmend next Saturday as the Indians come to Bern for Game three!
Schedule:
Saturday, October 11
14:00 Bern Cardinals – Lausanne Indians
Sunday, October 12
14:00 Lausanne Indians – Bern Cardinals*
Saturday, October 18
14:00 Bern Cardinals – Lausanne Indians*
*if necessary