Bofihla Maputla

Bofihla Maputla pitched for the Lesotho national team in four of their five games in their first international tourney, the 1999 All Africa Games; no other hurler pitched even three games. In the opener against South Africa, he relieved Teboho Shelile with a 18-0 deficit in the 3rd and allowed 13 hits, 5 walks and 25 runs (only 5 earned) in two innings before Tieho Mpota relieved. He gave up 4 homers, 3 of them to Ian Holness. In the next contest, he replaced Justice Tsuniyane in the 6th with a 18-12 lead over Ghana and worked the final inning, giving up one hit, two walks and two runs (one earned) while whiffing two. He replaced Shelile with a 7-2 deficit in the 3rd against Zimbabwe and surrendered 12 hits, a walk and 15 runs (only 2 earned) in one inning before Mpota came in. Finally, he relieved Bahzakoan Shelike with 2 outs in the 8th and a 14-3 deficit against Nigeria and recorded an out. For the event, he allowed 26 hits and 8 walks in 4 1/3 IP but his 16.62 ERA did not lead Lesotho (Shelile was at 40.50); on the other hand, his RA was 91.38 thanks to the errors behind him.