Challengers bash Flyers 17-3

After suffering a bitter 5-4 defeat in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader, the Challengers came back and trashed the Therwil Flyers 17-3 in Game 2.

	Thomas Landis pitched his first complete game of the season and 32nd of his career.

It was the most runs scored by a Challenger team against the Flyers since July 26, 1998 when the Challengers won 18-8.

The Challengers quickly went ahead in the top of the first inning, profiting from Koller's shaky pitching and an error by second baseman Zwyer for a 2-0 lead.

The Flyers were able to tie it in the bottom of the second inning at two apiece, but after that, the Challengers ran away with the game.

The Flyers' defense combined for seven errors that led to eight unearned runs off starter Koller and reliever Reto Siegel in seven innings.

	Chris Palatinus went 3-for-3 and raised his team-leading average to .561.

The Challengers put five runs - all of them unearned - on the board in the third inning. They hit only a single and a double, but Koller walked two and his defense comitted four blunders in that inning alone.

The Challengers' red-hot offense stayed on fire in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning as they scored three times in each of these innings.

Chris Palatinus hit a three-run shot in the fourth, Thomas Landis hit a two-run dinger the following inning, and Anubis Benitez had a two-run double in the sixth inning, his team-leading 14th double of the season.

Landis started and finished on the mound for the Challengers, scattering six hits and allowing three runs - one of them unearned - and also striking out six for his second win of the season. It was also his first complete game of the season.

	Flyers' starter Koller was roughed up for 16 runs in 5 1-3 innings, but seven of them were unearned.

Except for the third inning, the Flyers played a solid defense, turning three double plays, grounded into twice by Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer and once by Manny Marchant. These two players also went a combined 0-for-10 at the plate.

Palatinus finished the day going 3-for-3, including his seventh homer of the season, and also getting four RBI's. He moved into 4th place on the Challengers' all-time hits list, passing Adris Linares who has 154.

Game notes: Jose Valdez reached on an error in the seventh inning in his 300th career at-bat for the Challengers. ...Landis' walk given up to Roy Allenspach in the third inning was his 500th of his NLA-career.