Frogs 4, Challengers 3

A bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning wins the game for the Frogs in Game 1 of this year's NLA Playoff Semifinals series between the Sissach Frogs and the Challengers.

Starter Daniela Traina pitched four effective innings, allowing no earned runs and just a single hit.

The Frogs went ahead in the top of the first on newly-married Peter Rüfenacht's RBI-single off starter Thomas Landis.

The Frogs managed to hang on to their 1-0 lead into the fourth inning due to Daniela Traina's fine work on the mound. The youngster allowed only a single to Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer in the bottom of the fourth that scored two unearned runs for the Challengers. He walked four and struck out one.

Traina was the winner in the Challengers' only defeat of the season against the Frogs on May 17th.

The Challengers further extended their lead against reliever Steve Klee in the bottom of the sixth on Blickenstorfer's solo homer, his third of the season, for a 3-1 lead.

But that was the last runner to score for the Challengers as the Challengers managed just two more hits off him in the final three innings.

The Frogs tied the ballgame in the top of the seventh on Stefan Lüthy's two-run homer to deep center off Landis.

After no team was able to score in the eighth inning, the Frogs quickly loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and final inning.

It all started when third baseman Anubis Benitez dropped pinch hitter Falk's popup, and two batters later, committed another error on a slow roller to him.

Reliever Steve Klee, who gave up one earned run on three hits and one walk, was credited with the win.

With runners on third and second, Steve Klee was issued an intentional walk to load the bases with one out.

Landis managed to retire Heim on strikes, but lost catcher Lehmann on a full count to force in the go-ahead for the Frogs.

The Challengers had one more chance in the bottom of the ninth as pinch-hitter Gary Kochlefl got on with a double with two outs and nobody on.

Three pitches later, he stole third to put the tying run 90 feet from home plate.

But leadoff-hitter Saentis Zeller struck out swinging to end the game.

It was only Zeller's fifth strikeout of the season in 63 at-bats. That's a strikeout every 12.6 at-bats, trailing only Kochlefl who strikes out every 33.5 at-bats and Nick Lehmann, who whifs every 20th at-bat.

Landis' (8-2) 13 strikeouts set a season-high, surpassing his performance in Game 1 where he fanned 10 batters. He now has 82 strikeouts to give him a ratio of 8.72 K's per 9 innings pitched. It was also his 25th complete game in 57 career games.

Armin Blickenstorfer collected all three RBI's for the Challengers with his two-run single in the fourth and his solo shot in the sixth inning.

The Challengers are now forced to win the next two games in this best-of-three series if they want to advance to the Finals for the first time since 1994.