The Softball-Team finally arrived in the win column, as the Challengers managed to split with the Bern Cardinals on Sunday, April 10. The Cards rallied for a 18-11 win in Game 1 against the Challengers. In Game 2 Karen Heimgartner led the Challengers to a 9-1 victory over the Cards, hurling seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball with one walk and eleven strikeouts.
The crowd saw an entertainig Game 1 with four lead changes, as the Cardinals and the Challengers combined for 27 hits, nine errors and several defensive misplays. After the Cards scored twice in the first inning, the Challengers answered with three runs in the second on three hits by Sophie Töpel, Celine Welti and Leandra Simitovic and an error by the Cards’ defense. But the Cards made it 5-3 in the bottom of the frame on a RBI-single by Aline Stämpfli and a two-run single by Lia Heimann. The Challengers took the lead again in the third inning, as four errors from the Cards enabled the C’s to score six runs to make it 9-5. After the Cards cut the deficit to one run in the fourth, they erupted for eight runs on five hits in the fifth inning to seal the deal.
Leandra Simitovic and rookie Sophie Töpel delivered two hits each and Brigit Zuber, Andrea Wirth, Simona Cellar, Sophie Töpel and Celine Welti scored two runs apiece for the Challengers, while Tiffany Toney and Lia Heimann went a perfect four-for-four for the Cardinals.
Game 2 was all Challengers, as they took an early lead and never looked back to eventually win 9-1 for their first victory of the season. The Challengers opened the score, as Simona Cellar drove in Brigit Zuber with an RBI-double and scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 in the first inning. And that was all Karen Heimgartner and her defense needed. After giving up one run in the bottom of the first frame, Heimgartner retired 17 straight batters, while the Challengers scored four more runs in the second and added another insurance run in the fourth frame to make it 7-1. Rookie Joy Amendola highlighted the seventh inning, as the Cards mishandled her groundball to enable Karen Heimgartner and Ziegylou Wehrli to make it 9-1. Leandra Simitovic had two hits, while Simitovic, Cellar and Heimgartner scored two runs apiece.
The Challengers are now in fifth place with a 1-3 record. They will face the Cardinals again on May 8 at the Klopstockwiese.

 
The Softball-Team started its campaign with two losses against the reigning Swiss champion Luzern Eagles on Saturday, April 9 at the Klopstockwiese.
The Challengers erased a 8-run deficit to eventually lose 15-16 in Game 1. The Eagles opened the score with seven runs in the first inning and they added three more in the second and third frames each, as starting pitcher Leandra Simitovic had problems to find the zone and the Challenger’s defense committed several costly errors. But the Challengers fought back, as a 2-run double from Nancy Plamondon and a base-clearing triple from Nadja Critelli highlighted the second and third inning respectively to make it 10-13. And the C’s tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, as Simitovic took control of the Eagles bats and Plamondon delivered a 2-run triple. But two more errors by the C’s defense combined with two base-running errors in the sixth and seventh innings enabled the Eagles to score two more runs, while the tying run for the C’s stranded on second base for a 16-15 victory for the Eagles.
Nadja Critelli and Nancy Plamondon had a triple and a double with 5 RBI’s and 4 RBI’s respectively, Andrea Wirth delivered two hits and Ziegylou Wehrli drove in two runs for the Challengers, while Corina Casparis, Flavia Crameri, Sarah Winkler and Jessica Spring delivered two hits apiece for the Eagles and Irene Späni (1-0) was credited with the win.
Game 2 was all Eagles, as they rolled to a massive 26-2 victory over the Challengers. Julia Gloukhoff (1-0) kept the Challengers’ bats quiet, tossing a one-hitter with three walks and one strikeout. Gloukhoff, Celine Demarmels and Jessica Spring had two hits and four RBI’s each for the Eagles.
The Challengers will travel to Bern on Sunday, April 17, where they will face the Bern Cardinals (2-0).
 

Am Wochenende vom 2. & 3. April fand bei herrlichen äusseren Bedingungen und grosser Zuschauerkulisse im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli das Season Opening Weekend der Swiss Baseball & Softball Federation statt. Erstmals ging der vom Baseball & Softball Verband der Stadt Zürich organisierte Saisoneröffnungsanlass der Schweizer Meisterschaft im Heerenschürli in Zürich-Schwamendingen über die Bühne.
Eröffnet wurde der Anlass am Samstag mit einem Promispiel, bei welchem eine Auswahl bekannter Schweizer Sportlerinnen und Sportler auf eine Softball Auswahl der Stadtzürcher Vereine traf. Dabei bewiesen Nöldi Forrer, Beat Hefti, Fabienne Suter, Dani Hubmann, Linda Züblin & Co., dass sie auch Abseits von Sägemehlring, Bobbahn oder Skipiste eine gute Figur machen.

Die Softballerinnen reisen anlässlich ihrer vierten Europacup Teilnahme an den B-Europacup der Cupsieger ins französische Lyon. Die Challengers treffen dabei vom 15. bis 20. August auf die Riching Park Penguins aus Grossbritannien, Ballerup United aus Dänemark, Söder aus Schweden sowie die Französinnen von Bron St. Priest.

Die Luzern Eagles sind Softball Schweizermeister 2010. Die Innerschweizerinnen siegten in der best-of-five Finalserie mit 3-1 gegen die Zürich Challengers.
Nach je einem Sieg am vergangenen Wochenende lagen die Challengers in Spiel 3 praktisch über die ganze Spieldauer in Führung, bevor die Eagles Offensive in den beiden letzten Innings einen 5-11 Rückstand noch in einen 12-11 Sieg verwandeln konnte. Die Challengers nutzten zudem ihre Chancen zu wenig konsequent aus. Nicht weniger als 17 Baserunner liessen sie stranden. Nachdem die ersten drei Spiele jeweils eine knappe Angelegenheit waren, sicherten sich die Eagles mit einem klaren 7-0 Erfolg in Spiel 4 ihren dritten Schweizer Meistertitel nach 1999 und 2001. Mit dem Finaleinzug qualifizierten sich die Challengers für den Europacup 2011.

The best-of-five-series between the Zurich Challengers and the Lucerne Eagles is tied at 1-1 after the first day at Zurich.
The Challengers took the opener, as the C’s erased a four-run deficit en route to a 10-5 victory over the Eagles. Simona Cellar drove in two runs, while Nancy Plamondon delivered two hits and Simone Zurschmitten scored three times. Leandra Simitovic recorded her eleventh win of the season, as she allowed five runs, six hits and six walks while striking out five.
Karen Heimgartner tossed a three-hitter in Game 2, but her defense threw it away, as the Challengers committed a total of nine errors. The C’s didn’t give up and rallied for five runs in the last two innings to eventually lose 7-8, as the Eagles tied the series at 1-1. Simone Zurschmitten delivered three hits with two doubles and drove in two runs and Simona Cellar had three hits with two RBI’s.
Game 3 and 4 will take place on Saturday, September 25 at Luzern Reussbühl.

 
The Softball final series begins on Saturday, September 18 with the Zurich Challengers and the Luzern Eagles playing Game 1 and 2 of their best-of-five series.
It is the first-ever postseason meeting between the two teams. For the Challengers it is the fourth appearance in the finals and the first since 2007, after winning the Swiss championship in 2006, while the Eagles reached the finals in 2008 after winning the crown twice in 1999 and 2001.
This year the Eagles finished the qualification round in first place with a 19-5 record and swept the Wil Devils in their semifinal series 2-0. After a 12-2 victory in Game 1, the Eagles edged the Devils in Game 2, as they posted a 1-0 shutout win. The Challengers, who had a 15-9 regular season record, dethroned the reigning champion Therwil Flyers in their semifinal series. After the C’s won the opener 13-2, the Flyers forced a decisive Game 3 with a 11-1 victory in Game 2, before the C’s posted a 16-9 win in Game 3.
With two wins apiece on each field in May the Eagles swept the season series from the Challengers. The Eagles are riding a seven game winning streak and won 13 of their last 14 games, while the Challengers have a 16-5 record since June 5, after a dismal 1-5 start.
The games start at 11am and 1.30pm at the Klopstockwiese. Game 3 and if necessary 4 and 5 will be played on September 25 and 26 at Luzern Reussbühl.
 
History:
Number of meetings (since 2004): 18
Regular Season Series: 11-7 (.611) Zurich Challengers
Post Season Meetings: first-ever postseason series