NLA Game 18, Aug. 09, 97

FLY
10
 1234567RHE
Flyers 03102041082
Challengers 02000147112
W: Kleiber L: Kochlefl
CHA
7

Flyers 10, Challengers 7

The Challengers were unable to make the sensation perfect and pull out another win against the favored Flyers from Therwil. They lost in a close contest that was decided in the last inning.

<aBryan Shemley>
Bryan Shemley lost his lead in batting average, but now leads the Challengers with seven doubles and 14 stolen bases.
The Flyers were first to score and they jumped on starter Gary Kochlefl (0-1) who hasn't pitched that much thtis season. He just lasted 1.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on one hit and three bases-on-balls. Reliever Roger Brunner pitched the next three innings pretty effectively, giving up just htree eraned runs.

With the score 6-2 for the Flyers, manager Marvin Moore made a move and brought in Thomas Landis who pitched a complete game just minutes before. He started well, shuting down the Flyers over the next 1.2 innings before giving up a single and a double in the seventh. He was able to retire the next two batters but lost Mathis on a full count and Chris Guex followed with a two-run homer that set the score to 10-3 for the Flyers.

But the Challengers manufactured another of their infamous rallies. Nicki Lehmann started it with a single and Gary Kochlefl followed with a homer. Iqbal Khan then doubled and Saentis Zeller followed with his third homer of the season. Now the Flyers lead was down to three runs and the heart of the lineup was due.

The Flyers brought in closer Roy Allenspach, but the next two batters, Landis and Blickenstorfer, reached base with a single and on an error, respectively. Fabian Monn was brought in for Brunner in the sixth inning for defensive purposes but now had the chance to tie the game with a little shot of his own. But he poorly struck out for the first out of the inning.

Next up was Makoto Fukamachi, an excellent contact hitter with a .641 on-base percentage. But he couldn't deliver the ball out of the infield and hit into a fielder's choice that retired Landis at third for the second out.

The Challengers still had one more chance as pinch hitter Giorgio Szentgyörgyi stepped to the plate that represented the tying run. But the president himself struck out swinging to finish the game.