Challengers edge Flyers with four-hitter

When Game 3 of the Final Series was postponed to the following weekend, it meant that the Challengers would face Flyers ace Reto Siegel twice in a row.

	Tobias Siegrist had a team-high 2 RBI's and tied Zeller for the organisations all-time lead in triples.

Siegel dominated the Challengers so far this season, collecting three complete-game wins, including a 7-0 shutout on July 18, giving up a total of only four earned runs on 18 hits while fanning 15. But after 22 innings, the Challengers' offense finally figured Siegel out and sent him off the mound for the first time this season.

11 of total 15 hits came off Siegel, including doubles by Saentis Zeller, Nick Lehmann, Thomas Blank and a 2-run triple by Tobias Siegrist.

The Challengers showed well-balanced offensive forces, as almost every player who stepped to the plate had at least one hit.

The team scored constantly throughout the game and left the opponent trailing after opening the score in the third inning.

Its only weak moment came in the third inning with the bases loaded and just one out, when Harry Bregy and Roger Brunner hit back-to-back pop-ups that never left the infield.

	Roger Brunner led an excellent pitching staff in difficult weather conditions.

Provided with enough run-support, Challenger starter Brunner and his bullpen also showed extraordinary performances.

Brunner gave up only two hits, and Oliver Labhart (2 innings) and Harry Bregy (1 inning) held the Flyers down to one hit each.

The Challengers' pitching staff thus better solved the task of coping with the capricious weather than Siegel and his reliever Vilomar, but gave up a lot more walks than their counterparts.

It was mainly due to this fact that the Flyers were able to stay in the game and still believe in the turnaround.

After Eichenberger's double to lead off the fourth inning, Brunner loaded the bases with consecutive walks.

Eichenberger scored on what should have been a double play, but shortstop Zeller misplayed Cuevas' roller in the wet grass and brought his team to the edge of falling behind.

But Brunner handled the bottom of the Flyers' lineup perfectly and ended the threat with three straight outs.

	The weather was especially moody and provided heavy rain as well as sunshine and a rainbow.

In the seventh inning, Brunner again gave up consecutive walks and was relieved by Labhart in a rain that grew heavier and heavier.

The Flyers scored a run on a single by Siegel and a throwing error by left fielder Lehmann, and loaded the bases with an intentional pass to Eichenberger with one down.

Labhart got out of the jam by getting the next two batters to ground into fielder's choices, only giving up one more run.

The Challengers had to overcome yet another scoring threat in the final inning with closer Bregy on the mound.

The Flyers had Siegel at third with one out and slugger Eichenberger at the plate. Eichenberger lined a shot to shallow left, right at the well-placed Lehmann, who kept Siegel at third.

Bregy followed up with his second walk of the inning, and Seppi Zwyers' single drove in Siegel.

With men on first and second, Bregy finally ended the game by striking out Nelson Vilomar.

Game notes
After periods of heavy rain in the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth innings, umpires Marius Sartorius and Franz Pablos suspended the game for 15 minutes in the middle of the eighth. ...The two umpires deserve an honorable mention for their unobtrusive handling of Vilomar's problems with his pitching motion and not influencing the game with balk-calls in a delicate situation. ...Brunner's win was his 30th of his NLA-career. ...Shortstop Patrick Zöllig was a late scratch from the Challengers' lineup due to a bruised finger, an injury he suffered in Friday's practice session.