Koller, Flyers crush Challengers 15-0

After the Challengers managed to tie the Best-of-5 Semifinals Series at 1-1 apiece last week, Game 3 was a bitter one-sided affair in favor of the Therwil Flyers.

Stefan Koller dominated the Challengers, allowing only two hits and three walks and also strinking out five over seven innings, Daniel Eichenberger hit two homers and collected five RBI's, and every Flyer player except Takanobu Oshima had at least one hit in a 15-0 rout.

The Flyers roughed up starter Thomas Burger in the first four innings, starting off with Eichenberger's three-run homer in the bottom of the first.

A throwing error by shortstop Ueli von Burg in the second inning pushed two more runs across the plate, and in the fourth inning, Koller's RBI-single and Eichenberger's two-run shot for a commanding 9-0 lead made the day for Burger.

The first 11 Challengers, on the other hand, were retired in order by Koller before Tobias Siegrist's double with two outs in the top of the fourth broke Koller's bid for a perfect game.

But it would take the Challengers another three innings before getting another hit as Yonimiler Martinez lined a single to left field in the top of the seventh.

Reliever Chris Palatinus managed to shut down the Flyers' offense for four innings before they broke loose for six more runs in the eighth inning. They sent 11 batters to the plate in that inning, collecting seven hits and a walk.

Five Flyers had at least two hits as they outhit their opponents 17-2.

This loss forces the Challengers to win Game 4 if to want to prolong their season, but they have the right answer in starter James Sanders who dominated the Flyers in Game 2's 9-5 victory.

Game notes
Thomas Landis set a new career-high by striking out for the 16th time this season in the second inning. ...Palatinus passed Gustavo Salami for 10th place on the career all time list with 121 innings pitched.