Challengers tie Series at 1-1 with 12-9 victory

The Challengers faced the Therwil Flyers for Game 2 of this year's Swiss Finals, being down 0-1 after losing the first contest 12-10 on Saturday.

	Manny Marchant hit the only homer of the game, a two-run shot that put his team up 9-8 in the sixth inning.

Unlike Game 1, the two teams put some early runs on the board this time, and the lead changed five times after the fourth inning.

The Flyers put together two runs in the top of the first inning off starter Benny Räber on Alain Kurz's run-scoring fielder's choice and an error by second baseman Chris Palatinus.

But the Challengers didn't wait long and answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning on Manny Marchant's RBI-double, followed by Tobias Siegrist's two-run double.

Siegrist was the designated hitter after suffering a bruise on his left ankle after a hit by pitch by Alain Kurz in Game 1.

Räber kept the Flyers in check after the first inning, allowing just three more runs through the first five innings.

His offense didn't provide him with a big cushion, though, as they managed only a single run off Alain Kurz in the same period on Thomas Landis' RBI-double in the second inning.

	Benny Räber lasted just 5+ innings, giving up a season-high six walks.

The Flyers held on to a 5-4 lead through 4 1/2 innings before the Challenger offense finally kicked into gear.

The first four Challengers of the fifth inning got on on singles by Nick Lehmann and Landis, an RBI-double by Jose Valdez and an RBI-single by Manny Marchant.

Kurz then managed to retire both Siegrist and Palatinus on two popups back to the mound before he was charged with a balk that brought home Valdez from third base.

The Challengers even managed to load the bases after that on two walks to Armin Blickenstorfer">Armin Blickenstorfer and rookie Patrick Zöllig, but Anubis Benitez hit a pop fly to center field to end the threat.

	Chris Palatinus' two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning finished Alain Kurz, and gave Landis two important insurance runs to work with in the top of the ninth.

But the Flyers came back storming in the top of the sixth inning.

Reto Siegel led off with a double, Seppi Zwyer followed with a walk, and three consecutive singles by Roy Allenspach, Daniel Eichenberger and Alain Kurz sent Räber to the showers.

In came Landis who retired the first two batters he faced on a fly out and a strikeout.

But pinch hitter Richi Kurz followed with a bloop single over the infield that scored one more run to put his team ahead 8-7.

Stefan Siegel hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Alain Kurz then started the bottom of the sixth by retiring Lehmann and Landis on a ground out and a fly out, but Valdez was issued a walk and Marchant jumped on a high fastball by Kurz for a two-run blast to reclaim a temporary 9-8 lead.

	Alain Kurz was roughed up for eleven earned runs on 12 hits and nine walks in 7.2 innings of work.

But the game remained exciting and the Flyers amazingly managed to tie it up once again.

Reto Siegel and Zwyer led off the seventh inning on two walks by Landis, and after Siegel got to third base on an errant pickoff attempt by Landis and a wild pitch, Allenspach struck out swinging but ran to first base as catcher Lehmann dropped the third strike. Siegel scored on the throw to first to tie the game at 9-9.

The next two half-innings remained scoreless before Benitez led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk. Kurz managed to retire Lehmann on a called third strike, and Landis on a fly out, but then lost it somehow.

Valdez singled and Kurz filled the bases by issuing a walk to Marchant. That brought Harry Bregy to the plate who appeared in only nine games prior to this game in the NLA this season. He replaced the hampered DH Siegrist and promptly drew a bases-loaded walk after working the count full.

That gave the Challengers a 10-9 lead. But Chris Palatinus added two insurance runs for Landis to work with in the top of the ninth with his two-run double that finished Alain Kurz's day on the mound.

Koller relieved and retired Blickenstorfer on a ground out to end the inning.

Landis then pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his sixth win of the year after taking the loss in Game 1.

The Series will now shift back to Therwil where Game 3 will be played on Saturday September 16.

Game notes: Landis set a new Challengers record by scoring his 299th run of his NLA-career in the fifth inning, surpassing Enrico Zingg. ...Benitez tied his own single-season record with his 67th run scored in the bottom of the eighth inning. He also tied Valdez' single-season record for most hits (66) as he singled in the second inning. ...Palatinus collected his 150th and 151st RBI's of his NLA-career with his double in the eighth inning. He also broke his career-high for RBI's in a single season, giving him 43 on the season. ...Lehmann singled in the fifth inning for his 200th total base in his NLA-career.