Challengers overpower Flyers 14-6

The Therwil Flyers' Reto Siegel started the doubleheader by homering on the first pitch of the game, but the Challengers weren't impressed and took Game 1 14-6 behind the stellar pitching of Thomas Landis.

	Thomas Landis lasted 6+ innings en route to his third win of the season.

The Challengers' offense exploded for five runs in each the fourth and sixth innings, and outhit their counterparts 9-4.

Manny Marchant's solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the first inning tied the score, but the Flyers got that run back when Roy Allenspach profited from third baseman Kurt Kovac's defensive lapse.

Kovac went on to committ three more errors for a total of four. He had three errors in 24 chances going into the doubleheader.

But the Challengers also matched that run when Landis' RBI-single scored Nick Lehmann.

Lehmann filled in for regular starting catcher Tobias Siegrist who missed the game due to military.

Going into the bottom of the fourth inning with the score tied 2-2, the Challengers' bats excelled. They also profited from a costly error and starter Siegel's lack of control.

Anubis Benitez connected for just his second homer of the year, and his first grand salami since Apr. 16, 2000 against the Bern Cardinals.

	Manny Marchant had a game-high three hits and three runs scored to go along with his three RBI's.

Harry Bregy, Lehmann and Patrick Zöllig earlier reached on two walks and an error.

The Challengers added two more on run-scoring ground outs by Chris Palatinus and Kovac.

And in the sixth inning, Landis' teammates further padded his lead, getting five runs - all of them unearned - on three hits off closer Jacob Clinton and two errors in the Flyer infield.

Landis led off the seventh inning by walking Stefan Sprenger, and that was all for him. He finished the game having given up three runs - one of them unearned - on just two hits and three walks. He also struck out five.

Closer Marchant took over, but he ran into trouble as his defense let him down by committing three errors with two batters already out.

But by then, the Challengers had already scored enough to withstand the four final runs by the Flyers to win 14-6.

Game notes
Landis' two hits allowed were the fewest in a stint of five or more innings since allowing just one hit against the Sissach Frogs on Sep. 28, 1997. His 6+ innings of work was also his longest outing since pitching 7 innings on Aug. 26, 2001 against the Cardinals.