Flyers2 13, Challengers 17

Fresh off a sweep of the Barracudas, the Challengers looked to continue their winning ways against the Therwil Flyers. While the Flyers had swept the first two games in Therwil, those victories had been aided by the presence of several NLA regulars who were no longer eligible to play NLB games (yes the Challengers also had some NLA players for those games as well, but don't change the topic). As a result, there was reason to believe that the Challengers would have a better chance this time around.

As has been their habit of late, the Challengers got off to a slow start, falling behind 2-0 early on two hits and an error. Kurt Kovac helped the home team get a run back in the bottom of the first, singling to lead off, and then reaching third on an errant pick-off attempt, before ultimately scoring on an RBI ground-out by Alex Gordon. But the Flyers came right back with 2 more in the top of the second, touching Challengers' starter Dean Scherbaum for 3 straight singles (although two of them were little bloops), and taking advantage of a wild pitch. Once again, Kovac helped bring the Challengers back, this time with a bases loaded, 2-RBI single, which scored Nick Lehmann and Oli Christen.

After Scherbaum pitched a scoreless third, the Challengers were poised to take the lead. After Gordon led off with a walk, and Renzo Falcone singled, Carlos Nepomuceno drew a walk to load the bases with no one out. Adderly Sarmiento followed with a flair towards left-center that the Flyers' shortstop was able to track down, holding the runners in place. Lehmann then followed with a lined shot towards the gap in left, but again the Flyers' shortstop was there, making a remarkable catch, and doubling off Gordon from third. The Challengers were left shaking their collective heads - unable to score even once despite having the bases loaded and no outs. Things got worse for the Challengers in the top of the fourth. After Scherbaum retired the first batter, the next four batters reached and scored, making it 8-3 Flyers. Three errors in the inning - giving the Challengers a total of 6 for the game at that point - certainly didn't help.

There's an old saying that it is always darkest before the dawn. I don't know who said that, but it certainly applied to the bottom of the 4th inning, as the Challengers scored a whopping 11 runs in the frame. Here's how it went down: Christen got things started by reaching on a throwing error. With one out, Kovac and Yusuke Azuma both reached on fielding errors, the second of which allowed Christen to score. After Gordon drew a walk to load the bases, Falcone singled to score Kovac. Nepomuceno was hit by a pitch, forcing in Azuma, and leading to a Flyers' pitching change . . . which didn't help. A wild pitch allowed Gordon to score, and then Sarmiento singled to drive in Falcone. After Lehmann walked, the Flyers changed pitchers again...and again it didn't help. Well ok, at first it did, as Christen was called out on strikes for the second out. But then Scherbaum walked, bringing in Nepomuceno, Kovac walked, forcing in Sarmiento, and a wild pitch allowed Lehmann to score as well. Azuma walked, loading the bases, and then Gordon drew his second walk of the inning, which brought in Scherbaum from third. Finally, Falcone drove a double down the line in left, driving in two and sending Gordon to third. By the time Nepomuceno was retired on a grounder to third, 11 runs had crossed the plate. Not bad for half an inning's work!

Christen came on in relief in the top of the 5th, and set the Flyers down in order. In the bottom of the inning the Challengers got right back to business: Three straight walks loaded the bases with no outs, but after a strikeout and a force play at home, the Challengers were once again at risk of failing to take advantage of a bases loaded - no outs situation. But this time, the Challengers cashed in: After a wild pitch allowed Lehmann to score, Azuma drove a 2-RBI single to left, making it 17-8 Challengers.

Despite having a 9 run lead heading into the top of the 7th, the Challengers decided it would be fun to add a little drama to the situation. The first batter lifted an easy pop-fly behind the pitcher's mound...that fell for a single when no one in the infield took charge. After the next batter struck out, Christen gave up a single putting runners on first and second, and bring up the top of the Flyers' order. Oli got another strike out, bringing the Challengers within one out of victory. But then the next batter singled, driving in two, and making the score 17-10. With the number 3 hitter at the plate, Christen induced a ground ball to short, and the game appeared to be over. In fact, Christen even gave his trade-mark primal bellow and started to run off the mound. Astoundingly, however, the home-plate umpire - after about a 25 minute delay (all numbers approximate) - ruled that first-baseman Gordon's foot had come off the bag, and the runner was safe (sure felt like my toe was on the base to me, but whatever...I'd rather be in the outfield anyway!). After a walk and two singles, it was 17-13 Challengers, and the situation was starting to get tense. Fortunately, the next batter lifted a weak pop towards first that Christen ran over and caught to end the game. Even better than the catch was Christen punctuating the play by screaming something unprintable and then throwing the ball as hard as he could against the fence next to the Challengers' dugout. It's worth noting that three of this season's top moments have involved people throwing things towards foul territory while yelling something either obscene, unintelligible, or a combination of both, and two of those moments came against the Flyers. With the victory the Challengers extended their winning streak to three, and sent Scherbaum off a winner in his last start before his world-tour. Good times.

by Alex Gordon