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.

Continue Reading » Ladies lose twice to Flyers

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.

Continue Reading » Ladies open season with two wins

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.

Continue Reading » Saisonstart der Softballerinnen gegen Unicorns

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.

Continue Reading » Ladies travel to Germany

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.

Continue Reading » Blickenstorfer neuer Softball Coach

Karen Heimgartner was inducted into the Wall of Fame of Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio on Saturday, September 27. Heimgartner pitched four years for the Cavaliers from 1997 till 2000 and led Walsh to their first NAIA World Series appearance in 2000. She set record marks on the Softball-Team’s all-time list for games pitched with 111, games started with 92, complete games with 79, innings pitched with 668, and leads the all-time list with a 1.41 Earned Run Average, 612 strikeouts, 67 wins and four No-Hitters. Heimgartner played her third season with the Challengers in 2008.
Walsh University Pitching RecordsWalsh University Wall of Fame

Continue Reading » Heimgartner inducted into Walsh Wall of Fame

The ladies’ title hopes came to an end in the semifinal on Saturday, September 20 after losing twice in tie break 7-8 and 5-6 against the defending champions Therwil Flyers at Therwil. In Game 1 the Challengers erased three deficits to send the game into extra innings with a 6-6 tie. In the eight inning the Challengers managed to load the bases with 0 outs. And the C’s scored the go-ahead run, as Karin Mittelstädt drove in Andrea Wirth with a RBI-single. But the Flyers escaped the threat when Alexia Zingg lined into a double play to pitcher Sophie Zihlmann, who threw to first to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning the Flyers tied the game on Emily McNamara’s RBI-double, before Adeline Glauser drove in the winning run with a two-out RBI-single. The C’s ended up with the loss even though they outhit the Flyers 12-9. Flavia Von Meiss and Karin Mittelstädt collected three hits apiece, while Leandra Simitovic had two RBI’s. Simitovic allowed eight runs – six earned – and nine hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
The C’s bats remained on fire, as they opened Game two with three consecutive singles to make it 2-0 in the first inning. But the defense committed two costly errors, enabling the Flyers to tie the game in the second inning. The C’s took the lead again, as they scored a run in the third and fourth innings each. Again the Flyers tied the game with two runs in the fifth to make it 4-4. But the C’s made it 5-4, as Simone Zurschmitten drove in Karin Mittelstädt with a RBI-single in the sixth. In the seventh inning the C’s were one strike away from the victory, as a wild pitch from Karen Heimgartner enabled the Flyers to score the tying run. And as in Game 1 the Flyers had the better end in the tie break, as they scored the winning run on another wild pitch to end the Challengers’ season. The Flyers will face the Reussbühl Eagles, who beat the first placed Wil Devils in Game 3 of their semifinal series, in the finals. The Challengers finish the season in fourth place and will miss the European Cup for the first time since 2004.

Continue Reading » Ladies’ season ends with two tie break losses