The Challengers also decisively lost Game 2 of the best-of-three playoff quarterfinal series against the Zurich Barracudas’ second team. This brought the Challengers’ season to an end.
After the Challengers’ second team won three of their four games in the second round, they were unable to wpost a win in the playoffs against their local rivals. Just as in the series opener a week ago, Game 2 was also decided early. Although the visitors scored the first run with an RBI single from Bastian Kämpfer, and the Barracudas were unable to add twelve runs again in the first inning, the Challengers’ defense committed three errors in the first frame, resulting in four unearned runs and an early 1-5 deficit. The home team clearly had no intention of playing a deciding game 3. The Barracudas kept their foot on the gas and sealed the Challengers’ season with another five runs in the third inning, making the score 14-2.
The Challengers did a bit of cosmetic work at the end. Jasper Freigang hit an RBI double and Florin Kämpfer a 2-run single, before Daniel Smith and Noam Blickenstorfer scored on an error by the Barracudas defense, and Jasper Freigang scored his team’s final run of the 2025 season on a wild pitch. The final score was 18-8.
NLB Playoff Quarterfinal, best-of-three: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II, 0-2
Game 1, Sunday, August 17: Zurich Barracudas II vs. Zurich Challengers II 21-5
Game 2, Sunday, August 24: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II 8-18

After the NLB-Team decisively lost Game 1 of the best-of-three quarterfinal series against the Zurich Barracudas’ second team last weekend, they find themselves with their backs against the wall on Sunday at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
To turn the series around and extend their season, they need two wins against their local rivals. To achieve this, they need a significant improvement in performance and, above all, a better start into the game. From a mental perspective, the starting position is simple. The Challengers have nothing left to lose.
NLB Playoff Quarterfinal, best-of-three: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II, 0-1
Game 1, Sunday, August 17: Zurich Barracudas II vs. Zurich Challengers II 21-5
Game 2, Sunday, August 24, 11:00 AM, Heerenschürli: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II
Game 3, Sunday, August 24, 2:00 PM, Heerenschürli: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II (if necessary)

The NLB-Team got off to a lousy start in the playoff quarterfinal series against the Zurich Barracudas’ second team. The visitors clinched the game with twelve runs in the first inning. Ultimately, Game 1 of the best-of-three series went to the Barracudas 21-5.
Whatever coach Tate Stone-Frisina had taught his players, it was lost after the first half inning. The Barracudas hit virtually every pitch that came their way, placing the balls between the Challengers’ defensemen. They turned eight hits into twelve runs and decided the game before it had even really begun. The Challengers recovered from this shock and played well afterwards, but the spice of an exciting game was completely lacking. For the Challengers Florin Kämpfer had three hits and two RBIs, Fabrizio Bucher had two hits and one RBI and Bastian Kämpfer delivered two hits and scored two runs. The series continues next Sunday at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
NLB Playoff Quarterfinal, best-of-three: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II, score 0-1
Game 1, Sunday, August 17: Zurich Barracudas II vs. Zurich Challengers II 21-5
Game 2, Sunday, August 24, 11:00 AM, Heerenschürli: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II
Game 3, Sunday, August 24, 2:00 PM, Heerenschürli: Zurich Challengers II vs. Zurich Barracudas II (if necessary)

In their second night game in two days against the Zurich Barracudas Academy, the Challengers retained the upper hand this time. After an early 11-2 lead, they struggled but eventually celebrated a 12-10 victory.
Tuesday’s night game didn’t quite match the quality of the game the night before. But at least, after an initially one-sided game, it was exciting again. The Challengers were determined to respond to the narrow loss from Monday night and were in excellent form from the start. Aided by two errors from the Barracudas defense, the Challengers hammered ten runs in the second inning on seven hits and three walks. Kazuki Sato’s RBI single, Pete Nelson’s base-clearing double and Ilai Blickenstorfer’s two-run single provided the comforting lead. After the first storm had passed over the Academy, the home team also clocked in. With four runs in the bottom half of the second inning and two runs in the fourth, making the score 8-11, they came within striking distance again. While the Challengers offense failed to capitalize on opportunities to increase their lead, the defense was virtually flawless, with pitchers Florin Kämpfer, Shaen Bernhardt, and closer Ilai Blickenstorfer giving up only four hits and recording twelve strikeouts, ultimately securing the win.
Bastian Kämpfer shone with three hits, including two doubles, Jordi Bucher delivered three hits, Ilai Blickenstorfer had two hits and two RBI, Pete Nelson collected three RBI and Mike Siemers added two RBI. Bernhardt took the win with 2.2 innings pitched, in which he gave up just one hit, two runs and three walks with two strikeouts, while Blickenstorfer, in his last game of the season before his exchange semester in the USA, put an exclamation mark behind the derby with three strikeouts in a row and his first save of the season.

The small local derby between the Zurich Barracudas Academy and the Zurich Challengers’ second team brought the spectators an exciting baseball night and a dramatic ending. The Barracudas took their first, but decisive, lead in the final inning and celebrated a 4-3 walk-off win.
Monday evenings aren’t the kind of evenings one associates with baseball in Zurich. However, today an unscheduled, small city derby took place at the Heerenschürli ballpark. After the Hünenberg Unicorns withdrew, the Challengers inherited their spot in the intermediate round – and had to make up their games accordingly. The Challengers were able to count on reinforcements from the Unicorns for this mission. Ari Lonstein deserves special mention. The American pitcher delivered a strong performance. He gave up just three hits and collected fourteen strikeouts, but still ended up as the loser. This was partly due to the Challengers offense only managing five hits and three runs against Barracudas pitchers Xavier Scheffler and Naël Frey, but also due to the Challengers defense making mistakes in game-deciding situations, which the Barracudas were able to exploit with utmost coolness.
After taking a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, the visitors opened the door again by allowing two runs, an RBI single by Nils Brüderli and a wild pitch, to bring their opponents back into the game, making it 3-2. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Challengers had the opportunity to end the game with a double play. But the throw to first base was way too high – and the game continued. Shortly after, Nils Brüderli sent the ball to right field, initially tying the score at 3-3 and then, because the throw to home plate was again too high, Seiya Eigenheer crossed the home plate for a much celebrated 4-3 walk-off win by the home team.
Thus, Lonstein’s good pitching performance, Bastian Kämpfer’s first run in the third inning, and Pete Nelson’s 2-run single in the fifth inning were worthless. The two teams will meet again tomorrow, Tuesday, at 6:30 p.m. at the Heerenschürli.