The Challengers (17-10) won twice against the first-placed Bern Cardinals (22-4) on Sunday, September 9 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The C’s clinched the playoff berth for the 14th time since 1997 by posting an 11-8 victory over the Cardinals in Game 1. Tobias Siegrist tossed a complete game for the win, while the offense put together 14 hits. Robert Sedin went 3-for-4 and Jesus Martinez drove in three runs. With this victory the Challengers extended their lead over the fifth-placed Zürich Barracudas to two games.
But the Challengers weren’t done yet. They added another win, as they edged the Cardinals 5-3 in Game 2. Harry Bregy scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh, while Andrea Girasole (8-4) got the win with two innings of work and Robert Sedin notched his second save with two scoreless innings to shut the door.
The Challengers will play the Zürich Lions in their last game of the qualification round on Thursday, September 13 at 7pm.
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C’s sweep Cardinals, clinch playoff berth
Challengers holen Sieg in Bern
Die Challengers erzielten am Sonntag, 2. September einen äusserst wichtigen Sieg gegen den amtierenden Schweizer Meister Bern Cardinals. Nachdem der Titelhalter aus der Hauptstadt im ersten Spiel einen knappen 5-4 Sieg einfuhr, sicherten sich die Challengers den Sieg in der zweiten Partie mit einem 8-0 Shutout. Die Challengers benötigen aus den drei verbleibenden Spielen noch einen Sieg, um die Qualifikation für die Playoffs definitiv zu machen. Am Sonntag, 9. September kommt es im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli erneut zum Aufeinandertreffen mit den Cardinals.
Continue Reading » Challengers holen Sieg in BernChallengers move into fourth place
The Challengers won twice on Sunday, August 19 against the Luzern Eagles and improved their record to 14-9. But it wasn’t easy at all, as the Challengers posted a nerve-wracking 13-9 extra-inning win in Game 1 against the Eagles. The game lasted more than three and a half hours in the heat of 33 degrees celsius. And the C’s added an 8-2 victory in Game 2, to move into fourth place for the first time in 2012 thanks to the Therwil Flyers edging the Zurich Barracudas twice. The C’s will face the first-placed Bern Cardinals for two double headers and the sixth-placed Zurich Lions for a make-up game in September.
Continue Reading » Challengers move into fourth placeChallengers win twice against Lions
The Challengers swept the Zurich Lions on Saturday, August 11 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The C’s built an early 6-0 lead after scoring four runs in the first frame and adding two in the third inning, holding on for a 10-3 victory over the Lions in Game 1. Jesus Martinez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Säntis Zeller delivered three hits and Oliver Bernet drove in four runs for the Challengers.
The C’s added another success in Game 2, as they posted a 9-2 victory over the Lions. Tobias Siegrist broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth with a sac fly, Thomas Blank and Harry Bregy followed with RBI-singles and Patrick Maier and Rober Sedin scored after errors by the Lions defense to make it 6-1.
The Challengers remain in fifth place with a 12-9 record and are 1.5 games behind a playoff spot.
Pycock joins Challengers
Newly acquired pitcher and infielder Craig Pycock arrived in Zurich on Thursday to join the Challengers NLA-Team. Pycock is an Australian, who has played extensively in Germany and for the British national team. The 33-year old, who was born in Central Coast, New South Wales Australia, last played with the HSV Stealers in the German Bundesliga. The Stealers lost their best-of-five quarter-final series against the Regensburg Legionäre 0-3. Pycock appeared in 11 games and batted .333 with three RBI’s and scored 6 runs.
Pycock will make his debut for the Challengers on Saturday, August 11 against the Zurich Lions at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Challengers roll over Devils
The Challengers posted two mercy rule shutout wins over the Wil Devils on Saturday, July 28 at the Heerenschürli ballpark to improve their record to 10-9. With the two wins the C’s also moved within three games of the fourth-placed Zurich Barracudas. Andrea Girasole tossed a two-hitter with one walk and seven strikeouts and the Challengers scored in every inning in a 19-hit attack, as they cruised to a 20-0 victory in Game 1. Säntis Zeller, Tobias Siegrist and Luigi Cinardi had three hits each, while every Challenger had at least one hit.
Harry Bregy was solid too in his first start since August 31 2008 and the C’s added a 12-0 win over the Devils in Game 2. Bregy and reliever Thomas Burger combined for a no-hitter and nine strikeouts, while Robert Sedin went a perfect 4-for-4 and Säntis Zeller, Tobias Siegrist and Jesus Martinez – in his first game back with the Challengers – had three hits apiece.
The C’s will face the Zurich Lions on Saturday, August 11 at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Challengers swept by Mustangs again
The Challengers lost twice on Sunday, July 22 at the Heerenschürli ballpark against the Embrach Mustangs, who swept the C’s in the season series 4-0. Despite outhitting their opponent 12-9, the Challengers lost Game 1 against the Mustangs 1-6, as they committed five errors, that led to three unearned runs. The C’s had at least one baserunner in every single inning, but managed to score only one run in the fifth frame, as Säntis Zeller drove in Thomas Blank with a RBI-single to make it 1-4. Tobias Siegrist allowed five runs – two earned – and seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in seven innings of work, while Thomas Blank led the offense with three hits.
Game 2 was dominated by Mustangs pitcher Timothy Jones, who tossed a one-hitter and struck out 15, as he faced just 28 batters in nine innings, and the Mustangs beat the Challengers 2-0. Challengers starter Robert Sedin also pitched nine magnificient innings, as he allowed two runs – one earned – and five hits with three walks while striking out ten. The C’s remain in fifth place with a 8-9 record.
Challengers lose to Flyers, rain
The Challengers lost twice against the Therwil Flyers on Sunday, July 15. The Challengers’ home games had to be played in Therwil, as the Heerenschürli ballpark is still closed after the July 3 flooding and the rain had a big impact also at the Känelmatt.
Game 1 was all Flyers, as they posted a 12-3 victory over the C’s in a 18-hit attack. Tobias Siegrist, Robert Sedin and Bryan Shemley had two hits apiece for the Challengers.
The Flyers were leading 3-1 in Game 2 after five innings again. And they added another run in the top of the sixth frame to make it 4-1. The Challengers answered right away, as Luigi Cinardi crossed the plate to cut the deficit to two runs. And the C’s even brought the tying run on base, as they had runners on first and second, as the sky opened the gates to wash the rally away. The umpires called the game due to heavy rain with the score of 3-1 after five innings.
Night Game am Mittwoch
Die Challengers treffen am Mittwoch, 4. Juli im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli auf die Zürich Lions. Die Challengers benötigen gegen das Tabellenschlusslicht Lions einen Sieg, um den Anschluss an die viertplatzierten Zürich Barracudas zu halten. Diese erhöhten den Vorsprung auf die Challengers mit einem 4-3 Sieg gegen die Embrach Mustangs am Sonntag auf zwei Siege.
Continue Reading » Night Game am MittwochSedin, Challengers beat Barracudas
The Challengers have won eight of their last nine games, after posting a 5-3 triumph over their cross-town rivals Zürich Barracudas on Tuesday night, June 26. Robert Sedin tossed a gem, as he went the distance and allowed three runs and seven hits with six walks and 15 striekouts for his second win of the season, while Fabio Aimi led the offense with three RBI’s and Sedin and Säntis Zeller had three hits apiece. The Barracudas fought hard till the end, as they managed to get the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Sedin struck out Nderim Coma with runners on first and third to end the threat.
The Challengers remain in fifth place with a 8-5 record, but cut the deficit to the fourth placed Barracudas to 0.5 games. The C’s will face the Zürich Lions on Wednesday, July 4 for another night game at the Heerenschürli ballpark.