The Softball-Team lost twice against their cross-town rivals Barracudas on Sunday, May 20 in two hard fought battles that lasted more than two hours each. In Game 1 the Challengers’ rally came too late, as the Barracudas recorded the last two outs with the bases loaded to hold on to a 9-7 victory. In Game 2 the Challengers were one strike away from the victory twice, but the Barracudas erased a 3-6 deficit in the seventh inning before erupting for seven runs in the extra inning for a dramatic 13-7 win. With this two tough losses the C’s drop to a 4-4 record.
Continue Reading » Ladies with two tough lossesPosts in the Softball category:
Softball-Team wins twice against SG EAG/CHA
The Softball-Team faced the SG Eagles/Challengers on Saturday, May 19 at the Klopstockwiese, in what was a matchup in familiar atmosphere, as in both teams players from the Challengers lined up. The SG Eagles/Challengers opened the score in both games, but the Challengers managed to accelerate after starting slow twice to eventually win 15-1 and 21-6.
The SG EAG/CHA scored first in Game 1, as Irene Späni drove in Cindy Sullivan to make it 1-0 in the first inning. The Challengers answered in the second frame. After a pair of walks and hit-by-pitches Valentina Verdesca, Taylor Mc Cants and Ziegylou Wehrli delivered run-scoring singles to make it 7-1. After Jennifer Probst drove in Sandrine Montandon, Leandra Simitovic had a base-clearing hit to make it 11-1 in the third.
Probst, Mc Cants, Wehrli and Verdesca had a pair of hits each, while Simitovic allowed one run, two hits and four walks while striking out five in four innings of work.
The SG EAG/CHA started even better in Game 2, as Valentina Verdesca belted a three-run double and Fabienne Baumgartner added a two-run triple to make it 6-0 in the top of the second inning. But again the Challengers turned it around, scoring 21 unanswered runs on eight hits and 15 walks.
Leandra Simitovic, Taylor Mc Cants and Andrea Wirth had two hits each, while Jennifer Probst, Izumi Nitta, Mc Cants and Wirth scored three runs each.
Taylor Mc Cants gave up six runs and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts for her first win of the season.
Baseball and Softball games washed out
The home opener between the Challengers and the Bern Cardinals at the Heerenschürli ballpark, the softball game between the SG Eagles/Challengers and the Challengers and the season opener for the U12-Juveniles team all scheduled for Saturday, May 12 have been canceled by the groundkeepers due to heavy rain. No make-up dates have been announced so far.
Continue Reading » Baseball and Softball games washed outLadies swept by Devils
The Softball-Team lost for the first time this season, as the C’s were swept by the Wil Devils on Sunday, May 6. Game 1 was a nailbiter, as both teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard till the Devils drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The C’s loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but the Devils ended the game with a double play by throwing out the tying run at home to eventually win 1-0. Jrene Bühler won the pitcher’s duel, as she allowed four hits and three walks with three strikeouts, while Leandra Simitovic gave up one run, four hits and five walks while also striking out five. Simitovic had no support from her offense, as the C’s went a dismal 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Things got even worse for the Challengers, as they didn’t escape the first inning of Game 2. The Devils scored eight runs on eight hits, two walks and one error and held on for a 14-7 victory. The C’s regularly hit the balls right into the Devils’ gloves, while the Devils found the holes in the C’s defense, as they outhit the C’s 16-8. The C’s cut the deficit to four runs in the fourth inning, as Alexia Zingg, Ziegylou Wehrli and Celine Welti had back-to-back-to-back singles and scored later to make it 6-10, but the Devils answered right away with two insurance runs of their own. Taylor Mc Cants went a perfect 3-for-3 and Celine Welti had a pair of singles to lead the Challengers offense, while Nadja Lehmann, Ann-Katrin Fricke and Marielle Roth had three hits apiece for the Devils.
Simitovic, Heimgartner, C’s blank Eagles
The Softball-Team was nearly perfect on Opening day, as the Challengers won twice against the reigning Swiss champion Luzern Eagles on Saturday, April 28. Leadoff batter Brigit Zuber opened the score in the bottom of the first inning and the Challengers never looked back, as they increased the score to eventually win 7-0 in Game 1, as Nadja Critelli drove in the winning run in the bottom of the fifth. Leandra Simitovic tossed five magnificient innings, as she allowed one hit and two walks while also striking out four. Andrea Wirth delivered a RBI-double, while Brigit Zuber and Taylor Mc Cants scored two runs apiece.
And the C’s repeated their success in Game 2, as they posted a 7-0 victory again. The Challengers took an early 2-0 lead and added two more in the third, before Sandrine Montandon crossed the plate to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning in her first game for the Challengers since June 2010 to highlight her comeback. Leandra Simitovic and Alexia Zingg scored a pair of runs each, while Karen Heimgartner gave up only one hit and struck out ten, as she recorded her 25th win in a Challengers uniform.
The Challengers will travel to Wil on Sunday, May 6 to face the Wil Devils.
Challengers with full workload
The Baseball-Teams will both travel to Therwil the upcoming weekend. The NLA-Team will face last year’s finalist Therwil Flyers on Saturday, April 28. The games start at 11am and 2pm at Therwil Känelmatt.
A day later the NLB-Team will open its season also against the Flyers, with the games starting at 11am and 2pm at Therwil Känelmatt as well.
The Softball-Team will play its home opener on Saturday, April 28 at the Klopstockwiese. The C’s will face the reigning Swiss champion Luzern Eagles to start their campaign. The games start at 11am and 1.30pm.
The SG Eagles/Challengers, the organization’s second Softball-Team, will host the Zurich Barracudas on Sunday, April 29 at the Klopstockwiese. The games start at 11am and 1.30pm.
Summer Practice
Grössere Kartenansicht
The summer practice for the Zurich Challengers Softball Team takes place every Tuesday and every Thursday from 6pm till 8pm at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge. The Klopstockwiese is right at the corner of Bederstrasse and Klopstockstrasse (Tram 5 & 13, Bus 33 to Waffenplatzstrasse).
Das Sommertraining für das Zürich Challengers Softball Team findet jeden Dienstag und jeden Donnerstag von 18.00 – 20.00 Uhr auf der Klopstockwiese in Zürich Enge statt. Die Klopstockwiese befindet sich an der Ecke Bederstrasse/Klopstockstrasse (Tram 5 & 13, Bus 33 bis Waffenplatzstrasse).
Softball-Team opened spring season
The Softball-Team played two friendly games on Sunday, March 25 at Rümlang. The Challengers faced the Zurich Barracudas and the Wil Devils. Andrea Wirth opened her outdoor season in style, going 3-for-3, while Taylor Mc Cants and Simona Cellar added two hits apiece and Sandrine Montandon had a single in her first game since June 2010, as the C’s posted a 11-2 win over the Barracudas.
Andrea Wirth and Simona Cellar had two hits apiece in Game 2, as the C’s lost 5-10 against the Devils. Rookies Ellen Johnson, Anouk Lkharrazi, Izumi Nitta and Meret Roth played their first games for the Challengers.
Ladies open spring season on Sunday
The Softball-Team will open the spring season on Sunday, March 25 at 10 a.m. at Rümlang. The Challengers who are getting ready for their ninth season in the Swiss Softball League will play the Zurich Barracudas and the Wil Devils.
Continue Reading » Ladies open spring season on SundayHowell received MVP award
Brittany Howell was honored with the MVP award at the Challengers’ General Assembly on December 11 after playing a dominant season. Howell set team-highs with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homeruns, 25 RBI’s finishing with a .675 batting average and a .759 on-base percentage. Howell also went 4-1 with 65 strikeouts and a 0.60 ERA in 35 innings pitched in the pitcher’s circle. Leandra Simitovic won her fifth Best Pitcher award, as she went 6-7 with a 6.06 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched and was also credited with her second Best Batter award, as she led the Challengers with a .431 batting average, a .553 on-base percentage, 18 walks, 28 hits and 33 runs scored. Simona Cellar walked away with the Best Fielder award. Brigit Zuber received the Most Improved Player award, while Taylor Mc Cants was named Rookie of the Year.
Continue Reading » Howell received MVP award