On Saturday a day tournament of the 1st league championship is scheduled at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The Challengers have been the unluckiest team so far this season. They have only been able to play one night game in the first three and a half months of the 2024 season. All other games had to be canceled due to rain. On Saturday now games are planned against the Wittenbach-Pirates team and against the fourth team of the Zurich Barracudas. The games start at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
There will be a top battle in softball. In a repeat of the final of the last three years the Zurich Challengers will face the Wittenbach Panthers on Sunday. Both teams managed to win one game each, as they faced each other on opening day. The Challengers however are riding a four game losing streak after falling short four times against their local rivals Zürich Barracudas. The games start at 11 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. in Wittenbach Sonnenrain.
Meanwhil the NLA-Team will play another make-up game in the Swiss Cup against the Luzern Eagles on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Reussbühl. With a win the Challengers can secure first place in the preliminary round of the group and could play against one of the four group runners-up in the quarterfinals.
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1st League day tournament at the Heerenschürli
1st League game washed out again
The season for the 1st League-Team is not looking good. After three months of the 2024 season the Challengers have only been able to play one single game. Seven games had to be canceled due to weather. By comparison, Martigny District Baseball from the West Group has already played twelve games in the same period.
Continue Reading » 1st League game washed out again1st League Nightgame on Saturday
On Saturday night there will be a night game between the first league teams of the Zürich Challengers and the Zurich Eighters at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The two city rivals are facing each other for the second time this season. The game starts at 6 p.m.
The other Challengers teams that will be in action next weekend will have to play away games. The NLA-Team has to travel to Therwil on Sunday for the reprise of last year’s final. The doubleheader starts at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the Therwiler Känelmatt.
The Softball-Team has the shortest journey. The Challengers women meet the Zurich Barracudas in Rümlang. The games in Rümlang Rümelbach start on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The two teams will meet again on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich to complete the season series.
The U12 Juveniles will play against the SG Luzern Eagles/Hünenberg Unicorns on Sunday as well. The games take place at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the Hinterruopigen in Reussbühl.
Swiss Cup Weekend and Juveniles home game
Next weekend there will be another round of the newly designed Swiss Cup. The Challengers NLA-Team will meet the NLB-Team of the Lucerne Eagles on Saturday in Lucerne. The game starts at 10 a.m. on the Hinterruopigen in Reussbühl. Meanwhile, the Challengers NLB-Team will host the Wil Pirates NLA-Team at the Heerenschürli ballpark on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Challengers’ 1st League-Team will travel to Wil on Sunday. In the Lindenhof Stadium, the C’s will first meet the Wittenbach Pirates at 12.30 p.m. before the game against the SG Wil Pirates/Zürich Lions at 3 p.m.
Both junior teams will also be in action at the weekend. The U15-Cadets will play a doubleheader against the SG Hünenberg Unicorns/Luzern Eagles at Hünenberg Rony on Saturday. First pitches are at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The U12-Juveniles are having scheduled another home appearance. They play on Sunday on the Klopstockwiese at 10 a.m. against the SG Mustangs/Lions and at 3 p.m. also against the SG Unicorns/Eagles.
Softball home game on Sunday
The Softball-Team welcomes the Sissach Frogs on the Klopstockwiese on Sunday. The Baselbieters are in their third season since the team was founded and are noticeably improving from year to year. But the Challengers are trying to keep pace with the top duo Zurich Barracudas and Wittenbach Panthers with two wins. The game starts at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
For the 1st League-Team the journey goes east. The third team of the Challengers organization will meet the hosts Wittenbach Pirates at the Sonnenrain in Wittenbach at 10 a.m. before they will face the Zurich Eighters again at 12:30 p.m.
The U12-Juveniles also travel to the canton of St. Gallen. The youngest Challengers face the Wil Devils in the Wiler Lindenhof. The games start at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
1st League-Team loses in Extra-Innings
After various game cancellations due to weather, the 1st League-Team also played its first game of the season. The schedule for Saturday was just right for the Challengers, so that several juniors who were victorious with the U15-Cadets during the day could also take part in the night game in the Heerenschürli ballpark against the Zurich Barracudas. The Challengers showed a strong performance, but ran out of energy shortly before the finish line. In the end it was a bitter defeat after extra innings.
The Challengers built a 12-7 lead by halftime. In the second inning, Ben Dickow and Fabrizio Bucher scored two 2-run doubles for a 6-2 lead. The guests immediately gave this away, but they immediately regained their lead as well. Jacob van Meulebrouck and Jordi Bucher turned a 6-7 into a 8-7 lead in the third inning and with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, van Meulebrouck again, Tyler Smith, Niilo Benz and Ben Dickow extended the lead to 12-7. And the C’s were still ahead by four runs before the last inning. But the Barracudas were able to make up for the deficit in extremis with three hits and three errors from the Challengers defense to tie the game at 12-12. And while the Challengers didn’t bring their runners home in the extra inning, the Barracudas scored the winning run on two wild pitches to make it 13-12.
Fabrizio Bucher led the offense with three hits, Ben Dickow had two doubles and three RBI, Tyler Smith had two hits and Jacob van Meulebrouck scored three runs for the Challengers.
Busy weekend for the Challengers with all the teams in action
Next weekend all six Challengers teams will be in action. Four of them on Saturday, the NLB-Team and the U12-Juveniles on Sunday.
Three teams will play in Zurich on Saturday. The Softball-Team will welcome the Bern Cardinals on the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge. The Challengers will try to maintain their winning streak, which has so far included five wins in a row. The games start at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The NLA-Team will play a preliminary round game in the newly designed Swiss Cup against the Zurich Barracudas’ NLB-Team at 2 p.m. at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The 1st League-Team will then play a night game at 6 p.m. in the Heerenschürli ballpark against the Zurich Eighters. This is finally the first game of the season for the 3rd team of the Challengers organization. Meanwhile, the U15-Cadets will host the SG Unicorns/Eagles at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Embrach PZ Hard.
On Sunday the U12-Juveniles will be in action on the Klopstockwiese. The Challengers’ youngest team meets the Wil Devils in the top battle of the Eastern Group. The games start at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The first pitch in the cup match for the NLB-Team will also take place at 11 a.m. The second team faces the Emrbrach Mustangs in the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Sunday’s 1st League home games canceled
The 1st league games scheduled for Sunday, April 21st at the Heerenschürli ballpark have already been canceled on Friday. Due to the constant rain and the weather forecast for the weekend, which promises even more wet weather, the stadium management canceled the games already to protect the field. For the games between the third team of the Challengers, the Zurich Barracudas and the SG Wil Pirates / Zurich Lions no make-up date has been announced so far.
Continue Reading » Sunday’s 1st League home games canceledRevival of the Swiss Cup and Season Opener for 1st League-Team
Next weekend the Swiss Cup will celebrate its revival with a completely new mode. And the 1st League-Team is the last team in the Challengers organization to start the 2024 season with a home game on Sunday.
After a break of over 10 years, a Swiss Cup will be held again for the first time in 2024. The mode has been completely overhauled. In the first part of the competition there is now a group phase in which the 16 NLA- and NLB-Teams have been divided into four groups of four and everyone plays a single game against each other on three game days. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout round, in which the Swiss Cup winner is determined in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. The winner of the competition will take part in the European Federations Cup 2025. The Challengers NLA-Team will meet the second team of the Therwil Flyers on the first game day of the group phase in Therwil. The game will take place on Saturday, April 20th at 2 p.m. at Therwil Känelmatt. The second team will play the Zurich Barracudas Academy on Sunday, April 21 at 11 a.m. at Embrach PZ Hard in a duel of two NLB teams.
On Sunday, April 21st, also the 1st League-Team will open the new season as the last team in the Challengers organization. The Challengers’ third team welcomes the Zurich Barracudas and the SG Wil Pirates / Zurich Lions at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The games start at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Split for the 1st League-Team
After the U18 European Championship qualifier, which took place from Monday to Saturday in the Heerenschürli ballpark, Sweden won the tournament with a clear victory in the final against Lithuania, local creativity was in demand again. The 1st League teams of the Challengers and the Lucerne Eagles faced each other. Whereby the Challengers lined up with a U18 team as well to match the European Championship. After a wild back-and-forth throughout the day, the two teams ultimately shared the points fraternally.
In game 1 the Challengers weren’t able to keep three leads. The pitchers, with no fewer than 15 walks, gave their defense little opportunity to get out of trouble with successful plays. So the encounter was lost 17-19. But the Challengers kept the better end in the second game with a 16-14 win.