The Swiss National Team missed its last chance to remain in the race for a spot in the final game of the European Championship on Thursday, July 25, as they were edged by Bulgaria 2-3. Switzerland outhit Bulgaria 9-6 and managed to tie the game twice, but failed to do so for a third time, as the only error of the game led to the third Bulgarian run in the top of the eight inning.
Stefan Koller and Sebastian Zwyer delivered two hits apiece and Säntis Zeller drove in both runs, while Tobias Siegrist ended up with the loss despite tossing five innings of two-hit ball with one walk and four strikeouts.
Switzerland dropped to fifth place with a 1-3 record and will face Slovenia on Friday, July 26 at 6.30 pm for its last game of the tournament.
Switzerland misses final berth
Poland upsets Switzerland
The Swiss National Team had a setback on Wednesday, July 24 at the European Championship B in Zurich. Poland surprised the Swiss after losing its first two games with a solid performance and strong pitching, as the polish edged Switzerland 3-2 in front of again more than 800 Swiss fans at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Angelo Rodriguez drove in Hide Oshima to open the score in the top of the second inning, but Poland answered with three runs of their own in the third and fourth frames to turn the game around. The Swiss capitalised just once more to cut the deficit to one run, but Tobias Siegrist, who went 3-for-4, and Ryan Byrne, who had two hits, were the only Swiss players to deliver a hit against Poland starter Marek Deska.
Switzerland will play Bulgaria on Thursday, July 25 at 6.30 pm at the Heerenschürli ballpark in what will already be a must-win game.
Switzerland tops Ukraine
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The Swiss Baseball National Team won its first game at the European Championship in Zürich on Tuesday, July 23 for over 800 spectators. After a 30 minute rain delay in the top of the second inning Switzerland washed away a 1-0 deficit by scoring four runs in this frame and held on for a 5-2 victory over the Ukraine. Tobias Siegrist, Säntis Zeller and Hide Oshima had two hits each, while starter Daniel Levine tossed a three-hitter, allowing two unearned runs and three walks while also striking out 10.
In the other two games of the day Great Britain cruised to a 13-3 win over Poland, while Bulgaria rallied in extra-innings for a dramatic 6-5 win over Slovenia.
Switzerland will face Poland on Wednesday, July 24 at 6.30 pm at the Heerenschürli ballpark for their third game in front of their home crowd.
Switzerland starts with loss
The Baseball European Championship in Zurich opened on Monday in front of a sell-out crowd at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The Swiss faced Great Britain for its first European championship game in Switzerland. The team of headcoach Andy Fleischacker took an early 3-2 lead after the first inning and kept the game close, as they were just one run down after seven frames. But the British finished strong scoring nine times in the eight and ninth innings to eventually win 14-5. The Challengers players Tobias Siegrist and Francisco Colindres went 2-for-4 and scored one run each for the Swiss.
Switzerland will take on the Ukraine on Tuesday, July 23 at 6.30 pm for its second game of the tournament. The Ukraine started with a 14-6 win over Slovenia, while Bulgaria posted a 10-3 victory over Poland.
Eagles fly over Softball-Team
The Softball-Team faced the reigning Swiss champion Luzern Eagles on Sunday, July 21 at Reussbühl. The Challengers didn't find their game, as the lineup looked different at many positions. The Eagles broke away early on and never looked back, as they posted an 11-2 win in Game 1 and also Game 2 was all Eagles, as they cruised to a 10-1 victory. The C's remain in fourth place with a 4-12 record. They will face the Bern Cardinals and the Wil Devils at the end of August to defend the fourth and last playoff spot.
Weiterlesen » Eagles fly over Softball-TeamOpening Day for European Championship in Zurich
The first ever Baseball European Championship B in Switzerland starts on Monday, July 22 at the Heerenschürli ballpark in Zurich. The crew of the local organizing committee together with the groundkeepers got the Heerenschürli ready for the EC the last days and weeks.
Slovenia and the Ukraine will line up for the first game of the tournament at 10.30 am followed by the game between Poland and Bulgaria at 2.30 pm.
Switzerland will face the team of Great Britain after the official opening ceremony for the night game at 7 pm. The team of headcoach Andy Fleischacker will face the strongest opponent on opening day, as the British have been relegated at last year's European Championship. The Challengers players Harry Bregy, Francisco Colindres, Andrea Girasole, Tobias Siegrist and Säntis Zeller were named into the 24-man roster. James Sanders and Robert Sedin belong to the Swiss coaching staff.
The six teams will face each other in the round robin from Monday to Friday, with the top two teams playing the final game on Saturday, July 27 at 1 pm.
For further informations visit the CEB website and the tournament website.
NLB-Team swept by Bandits
The NLB-Team lost twice against the last-placed Jona Bandits on Sunday, July 14 at Rapperswil-Jona. The Bandits broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, as three Challengers pitchers allowed eight runs on three hits, five walks and a hit batter en route to a 12-7 win in Game 1. The C's lost despite walking 14-times and sending four batters more to the plate, but they were batting a dismal 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Yusuke Azuma delivered three hits, while Carlos Nepomuceno and Francesco Falcone had two hits apiece, as they collected all seven Challengers' hits.
Game 2 was all Bandits, as they built a 6-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, cruising to an easy 12-1 victory. Kurt Kovac and Oliver Bernet had the only hits for the C's, who lost their fourth game in a row, dropping their record to 5-9.
1st League-Team still waiting for first win
The 1st League-Team played four games on July 13 and 14, but is still waiting to arrive in the win column. The SG TruckStar/Challengers lost 4-22 against the Zürich Lions followed by a 3-23 loss against the Zürich Eighters on Saturday at Luzern.
On Sunday the SG TruckStar/Challengers played their first ever games at the Heerenschürli ballpark. And this time they came close, as they lost only 10-13 against the Eighters, before the first placed Lions rolled over the SG, posting a 25-3 victory.
Challengers lose to Cardinals
The Challengers were swept by the reigning Swiss champion Bern Cardinals on Saturday, July 13 at the Heerenschürli. The Cards stopped the Challengers winning streak at five, as their pitchers kept the Challengers' bats quiet the whole day. Bern broke a 3-3 tie by scoring four runs in the sixth and seventh innings en route to an 8-4 victory in Game 1, before they celebrated a 4-0 shutout win in Game 2. The C's remain in third place with a 13-5 record, but they are now three games behind the first placed Cardinals.
Weiterlesen » Challengers lose to Cardinals