The first softball derby of the season at the Klopstockwiese ended in a split. The Challengers won the first game of the day 10-3. The defending champions Zurich Barracudas responded with a 10-1 victory in Game 2.
The Challengers had a good start into the new season. After four consecutive wins they suffered their first setback a week ago with two losses in Wittenbach against the Panthers. It was exciting to see how they would react against the reigning Swiss champions. And it was the Challengers who set the pace. In the first inning, they benefited from errors in the Barracudas’ defense to take a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile the Challengers’ defense put in a nearly flawless performance. Janina Liechti, a picther on loan from the Wittenbach Panthers for today’s game, had a brilliant day. The 15-year-old allowed only four hits and three runs with six walks and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings and was credited with the win. The Challengers offense also made a decisive impact. In the fourth inning, Tamara Ammeter made it 4-1 with a bunt single, before Carmen Lutz-Demetz, Isabelle Tan, and Karen Hendren pushed the score to 8-1 with three consecutive doubles. A sac bunt by Simone Zurschmitten and an RBI single by Janina Liechti completed the inning and decided the game.
The Barracudas, however, seemed to have learned their lesson for the afternoon game. The Swiss champions took a 5-0 lead in the first inning with doubles by Mariah Jameyson, Amy Mathis, and Chiara Perisset. The home team had used up all their energy in the first game. The Challengers managed just one run, thanks to an RBI single by Leandra Simitovic, and a total of six hits and eventually lost 1-10.
But overall, the Challengers could be satisfied with the gameday, having split against the defending champions.
Author: Serge Künzler
Softball-Team with split against the Swiss Champion
Challengers in Action
Next Saturday three teams from the Challengers organization will be in action. A Cadets doubleheader follows on Sunday.
The first Zurich derby of the season will take place on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Klopstockwiese, when the Challengers Softball-Team will face the defending champions, the Zurich Barracudas. After the losses in Wittenbach, it will be interesting to see how the Challengers fare against the reigning champions.
The NLB-Team will play its home game on Saturday in Embrach. It’s one last time this season that they’ll be “off the grid”; the home field Heerenschürli should be ready to play again in June after the new back stop is completed. The C’s will face the Embrach Mustangs, who are looking for their first win of the season. Games begin at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at Embrach PZ Hard.
The U12-Juveniles will also be in action on Saturday. The youngest Challengers travel to Wil, where they will meet the Wil Devils and the Therwil Flyers. Games will be played at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Lindenhof.
The U15-Cadets round out the busy schedule on Sunday in Embrach with a doubleheader against the Wil Pirates. Games will be start at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Panthers stop Softball-Team
After four consecutive wins the Challengers were stopped in their away game in Wittenbach. The Panthers prevailed 9-7 in a hard-fought game and followed with an easy 11-1 victory in the second game.
Although last year’s finalists from Eastern Switzerland were mostly on the gas, the Challengers were largely able to hold their own, at least in Game 1. The C’s erased an early 0-2 deficit thanks to an RBI single by Taylor McCants, an RBI-single by Carmen Lutz-Demetz and a run by Simona Cellar on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. The Zurich team even managed to tame a 5-run inning by the Panthers. A 2-run double by Marianne Aellen followed by an RBI double by Taylor McCants made it 6-7, and Isabelle Tan tied the score again in the fourth inning. But the Panthers took the lead once more, scoring one run each in the fourth and fifth innings. This time the Challengers couldn’t respond. While they did get some traffic on the bases, they couldn’t score any more runs.
Taylor McCants, Carmen Lutz-Demetz, Karen Hendren, and Mia Matas each had two hits for the Challengers, who even had the upper hand in hits, 11-8.
The second game, however, was a one-sided affair for the Panthers. They were already up 4-0 after two innings and responded to the Challengers’ lone run thanks to an RBI single from Isabelle Tan, posting seven runs in the third inning that ended the game early after four frames with a final score of 11-1.
The Challengers will face the champions Zurich Barracudas at home next Saturday.
Juveniles remain unbeaten
The U12-Juveniles continued their perfect start to the season and remain undefeated after their fourth gameday. They secured two unchallenged victories against the Rümlang Kobras on Sunday. In Game 1, pitchers Florian Gränz and Knox Nelson led the Zurich-based team to a 17-7 victory. The result of the second game was even more decisive. This time, the Challengers prevailed 17-1. The pitching, including starter Henry Ruffieux and relievers Len Blickenstorfer and Roy Gonzalez, played particularly well.
Continue Reading » Juveniles remain unbeatenChallengers prevail in Wil
The Challengers also collected two wins in their second home gameday away from home. The Zurich team had the stamina against the Wil Pirates, making the difference twice in the second half.
The Wil Pirates were able to keep both games open for a long time. After an early 2-0 lead for the Eastern Swiss team in Game 1, the Challengers were able to turn the game around by the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single by Ryan Byrne and two errors by the Wil defense. Errors continued to be a problem for the Pirates. They made three in the fifth inning, which the Challengers exploited. After a sac bunt by James Sanders made it 4-2, the young guard increased the lead to 7-2 with Jordi Bucher’s RBI single and Kazuki Sato’s two-run single. A sac fly by Ryan Byrne and a ground-rule double by Säntis Zeller made it 10-2. The Pirates narrowed the gap to 6-10 in the sixth inning, but the Challengers didn’t let anything slip away. Noam Blickenstorfer and Florin Kämpfer, with a sac fly to make it 16-6, caused the early end of the seventh inning.
Ryan Byrne had three hits and four RBI, Säntis Zeller shone with two hits, Kazuki Sato had two hits and two RBI, and Jack Siemers scored three runs. Meanwhile Carsten Zuber pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits and six runs with two walks and ten strikeouts.
The second game of the day followed a very similar pattern. After four innings and good pitching from Aaron Sutter for the Pirates and Florin Kämpfer for the Challengers, the scoreboard showed a 4-4 tie. But then the Challengers essentially made up the difference with two hits. Jack Siemers first put his team ahead 6-4 with a two-run double, before Ryan Byrne followed with a three-run home run to make it 9-4. Regis Reinhard brought the final outing with a two-run home run to seal the final score at 11-4.
Ryan Byrne was again the man of the game with four hits, one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Kazuki Sato had another two hits, while Tate Stone-Frisina earned his first win for the Challengers. He pitched the final four innings, giving up one hit and two runs, with three walks and nine strikeouts.
Cadets come close to first Win
The U15-Cadets faced the two best teams from the West Group on Saturday. While they were unable to beat the Therwil Flyers, losing the game 15-4, the Challengers were able to hold their own against the Geneva Dragons. However it was just not enough. With a 5-6 loss, the Zurich team narrowly missed their first win of the season.
Continue Reading » Cadets come close to first WinChallengers in Eastern Switzerland
The Challengers are heading east next weekend. The NLA-Team will play in Wil on Saturday, and the women’s softball team will play in Wittenbach on Sunday.
The NLA-Team will be making only its second appearance of the season on Saturday. The Challengers will also have to move their second home game due to construction works at their home ballpark, Heerenschürli. The home games against the Wil Pirates will therefore be played at the Lindenhof in Wil. The games start at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
The Softball-Team will also travel to the canton of St. Gallen on Sunday. The Challengers will face the Panthers in Wittenbach, which has also been the championship final three times in the last four years. First pitch will be at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Wittenbach Sonnenrain.
The U15-Cadets will host the Therwil Flyers and the Geneva Dragons in Hünenberg on Saturday. This means that the Challengers, who are placed in the East Group, will face the two strongest teams from the West Group. The games will take place at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Hünenberg Rony.
The U12-Juveniles team will also be in action on Sunday. The Challengers will face the Rümlang Kobras in a derby in Rümlang. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Rümlang Rümelbach.
Softball Team performs well on Mother’s Day
The Challengers delivered a strong performance in their home game against the Bern Cardinals on Mother’s Day. With numerous hits and nearly flawless defense, the Zurich team controlled the games at all times and celebrated two commanding home victories, 14-4 and 12-5.
The visitors only briefly had the upper hand at the beginning of the opening game, when the Cardinals got off to a perfect start with four runs in the first inning. But with a ground-rule double from Isabelle Tan and a base-clearing double from Simone Zurschmitten in the bottom half of the first inning the damage was quickly repaired from Zurich’s perspective. And in the second inning, after a run by Lara Müller on a wild pitch, Taylor McCants and Simona Cellar extended the lead to 10-4 with their two-run singles. Although the Cardinals repeatedly caused base traffic, the Challengers’ defense performed commandingly and didn’t allow any more runs. After four innings, the Challengers won 14-4.
Taylor McCants led the offense with two hits and three RBI, while Tamara Ammeter and birthday girl Carmen Lutz-Demetz had two hits each, and Anouchka Michel, Isabelle Tan, Simona Cellar, and Marianne Aellen scored two runs apiece. Simone Zurschmitten was credited with the win with two shutout innings.
The home team immediately took control in the second game as well. Karen Hendren opened the scoring with an RBI in the first inning, before the Challengers extended the lead to 6-0 thanks to Marianne Aellen’s two-run single, Anouchka Michel’s RBI single, Isabelle Tan’s RBI bunt single, and Karen Hendren’s sac bunt. The Cardinals, however, stayed in the game with some solid plays, including a two-run double by Nicole Kühni and an RBI double by Stephanie Mischler. This reduced the Challengers’ lead to 9-5 in the fifth inning. But the Zurich team managed to snag the three runs they needed to win the mercy rule by capitalizing on two errors by the Cards to secure a 12-5 victory.
Carmen Lutz-Demetz, Simone Zurschmitten, and Tamara Ammeter each had two hits, and Ammeter earned her second win of the season in three innings as a relief pitcher. Thanks to the split between last year’s finalists, the Wittenbach Panthers and the Zurich Barracudas, the Challengers, the only undefeated team, currently lead the standings. The next two weekends will reveal where the Zurich team truly stands. They will face the Panthers and the Barracudas one after the other.
Juveniles remain unbeaten
The U12-Juveniles remain undefeated after their third gameday. The Challengers defeated the Wil Devils 16-10 in the first game and 7-6 in the second, a very close game.
For the Challengers, pitchers Florian Gränz and Joaquin Nicod shone in the first game, as did Roy Gonzalez, who was credited with the win, and Henry Ruffieux, who recorded the last out for the save in Game 2.
Cadets offense powerless
It almost seemed as if the U15-Cadets had left their bats at home on Saturday. In their losses in Wil against the Rümlang Kobras and the SG Pirates, they ended the day with just four hits and a total of 23 strikeouts.
In the opening game against their cantonal rivals, the Rümlang Kobras, the Challengers’ offense was not at its level. The C’s recorded a total of just three baserunners. That wasn’t something that would give them a chance of winning. At least they were able to keep the score open at the beginning. After a run for the Kobras in the first inning and two more following a costly error by the C’s in the second, the Zurich Unterland team created the decisive difference with five runs in the third inning, making the score 8-0. In the end, the Kobras won decisively 12-0.
In the second game against the hosts, the defense didn’t hold up at the beginning. The SG Pirates opened the game with four runs. The Challengers did manage to score their first run of the day thanks to doubles from Tyler Smith and Fabrizio Bucher. After three innings, however, the Eastern Swiss team already held a decisive 11-2 lead. Fabrice Cadalbert scored runs two and three in the third and fifth innings, but this did nothing to change the 3-13 defeat.