The Softball-Team is off to the worst start in the team’s six-year history, as the Challengers lost twice to the Bern Cardinals on Saturday, May 23 at the Klopstockwiese. The C’s are now in fifth place with a 2-4 record. Although the Challengers outhit the Cardinals 9-6 in Game 1, they lost 9-16, as their pitchers allowed too many walks. Starter Andrea Wirth ended up with the loss allowing nine runs – two of them unearned – and one hit with one strikeout in 3-plus innings and Corinne Wengi gave up another five runs in the fourth. Leandra Simitovic collected three hits including a double, while Celine Welti drove in two runs with her first career hit in the second inning. Game 2 was all Cardinals. Amanda Bell tossed a two-hitter with six strikeouts and Sibylle Zürcher hit a 3-run homerun, a double and drove in five runs in the Cards 12-0 victory over the C’s. The C’s lost due to poor batting and committed six costly errors, that led to nine unearned runs. Leandra Simitovic allowed 12 runs – three earned – and nine hits with five walks and three strikeouts, while Alexia Zingg and Katrin Dresbach were the only Challengers with a hit. The Challengers will face next the Wil Devils on Sunday, June 14 at Wil.

Flavia von Meiss was placed on the disabled list with a fractured left little finger, an injury suffered Sunday when she was attempting to make a diving catch in Game 1 against the Therwil Flyers. Von Meiss finished the game going 1-for-2 with a walk and scored a run. X-rays on Tuesday revealed the fracture at the base of her finger. The Softball Team’s leadoff batter is expected to be sidelined five to six weeks.

The Softball-Team lost twice against the titleholders Therwil Flyers on Sunday, May 10 at Therwil. The Flyers posted a 11-4 victory over the Challengers in Game 1. The Challengers had a good start, as they scored three runs in the first inning on a bases loaded walk to Andrea Wirth, a RBI-single by Alexia Zingg and a passed ball. But the C’s threw the lead away in the third, as they committed several errors enabling the Flyers to score four times. And the Flyers did some more damage in the fourth inning, as Jennifer Feret belted a three-run homer in her very first game for the Flyers to make it 8-3. Simone Zurschmitten added a run for the C’s in the fifth, before Melanie Wanner delivered a two-run triple for the reigning champion to make it 10-4. Game 2 saw a pitcher’s duel between Jennifer Feret for the Flyers and Karen Heimgartner for the Challengers. The Flyers opened the score with two runs in the first inning and that was all they needed. The C’s didn’t give up and put runners on second and third with no outs in the seventh, but Feret shut the door on the C’s with two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat. Feret tossed a two-hitter with thirteen strikeouts and one walk for the win, while Heimgartner (1-1) allowed two runs and four hits with eight strikeouts. The Challengers (2-2) will host the Bern Cardinals (0-2) on Saturday, May 23 at the Klopstockwiese.

The Softball-Team started its campaign with the home opener against the Hünenberg Unicorns on Sunday, April 26 at the Klopstockwiese. Armin Blickenstorfer won his first game as the new head coach of the Challengers, as the C’s cruised to a 13-0 victory over the Unicorns in Game 1. Leandra Simitovic (1-0) won her sixth straight opening day start allowing four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Simona Cellar led the offense with a RBI-triple, while Flavia Von Meiss and Simone Zurschmitten scored three runs apiece. Game 2 was different, but ended up with the same winner, as the Challengers erased a seven run deficit to eventually win 9-8 after tie break. The Unicorns took an early 8-1 lead and pitcher Jamie Williams kept the Challengers’ bats silent. But the C’s erupted for five hits in the fifth inning, cutting the deficit to two runs, before Katrin Dresbach scored the tying run with two outs in the seventh inning and sent the game into tie break. A single by Karen Heimgartner and an intentional Walk to Flavia Von Meiss loaded the bases again and Simona Cellar batted in Rookie Celine Welti, who scored the game-winning run in her second game ever. Andrea Wirth made her first career start allowing eight runs – none of them earned – and six hits with two strikeouts in 2+ innings, while Karen Heimgartner (1-0) registered the win, allowing two hits in six innings of relief with seven strikeouts. Celine Welti and Vanessa Zulliger made their debut for the Challengers. The C’s will face next the Therwil Flyers on May 10 at Therwil.

Das Softball-Team startet am Sonntag, 26. April mit dem Heimspiel gegen die Hünenberg Unicorns (1-1) in die neue Saison. Die Unicorns begannen ihre Saison mit einem Split gegen die Zürich Barracudas. Katrin Dresbach wird nach einjährigem Unterbruch ihr Comeback bei den Challengers geben, derweil Armin Blickenstorfer sein erstes Spiel als Headcoach der Challengers in Angriff nehmen wird, nachdem er den Chefposten von Willy Schaub übernommen hat. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr auf der Klopstockwiese.

The Softball Team will travel to Herrenberg, Germany on Sunday, April 5, where they will play against the Augsburg Dirty Slugs and the Herrenberg Wanderers, both from the First German Bundesliga.

Armin Blickenstorfer heisst der neue Headcoach des Softball Teams der Zürich Challengers. Blickenstorfer löst Willy Schaub ab, der das Team in den vergangenen zwei Jahren coachte. Blickenstorfer spielte insgesamt elf Saisons für die Challengers in der Baseball NLA und wurde 1998, 1999, 2000 und 2002 insgesamt viermal Schweizermeister. In der Saison 1999 arbeitete er als Spielertrainer.