The local derby between the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers, scheduled for Saturday evening at 6.30 p.m., has been canceled due to heavy rain. The field at the Heerenschürli ballpark is unplayable under these conditions. The Technical Commission of the Swiss Baseball and Softball Federation rescheduled the game for Tuesday, July 29 at 6.30 p.m.
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Barracudas take first Nightgame
The first of two night games between the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers was a clear victory for the Zurich Barracudas. After their 4-9 loss, the Challengers have a chance for revenge tomorrow, Saturday, when the next local derby takes place at 6:30 p.m. at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
The Barracudas, playing as the visiting team this evening, needed no warm-up. Three of their first four batters reached base with singles, and Nicholas Miceli and Camden Vasquez scored the first two runs in the first inning already. Even before the Challengers’ first hitter reached base, the Barracudas had already increased their lead to 4-0. Furthermore, their pitcher, Fabio Bundi, had a brilliant day. He gave up just two hits and recorded ten strikeouts in seven innings. When his workday ended, the scoreboard showed a score of 7-0. Only then did the Challengers clock in. After a hit by pitch to James Sanders and a walk by Simon Steffen, Carsten Zuber’s RBI single and Jordi Bucher’s RBI brought the home team on the scoreboard. And after RBIs from Regis Reinhard and Säntis Zeller made it 4-7, there was a brief glimmer of hope. But the Barracudas put the final touches on the event with two more runs in the ninth inning.
Two night games with local derby
The 2025 baseball season has another highlight in store. On Friday and Saturday night the Zurich Challengers and the Zurich Barracudas will face off in a two-game series at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Since only the top two teams after the intermediate round advance to the playoff finals, the Challengers, currently in third place, are under severe pressure to close the gap to the top pairing of the Barracudas and Therwil Flyers. However, the Challengers were decisively defeated by their cross-town rivals in both of their preliminary round games. The games begin at 6:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday the Challengers Softball-Team will host the Lucerne Eagles at the Klopstockwiese for a home game as well. While the Challengers are in third place and firmly on course for a playoff spot, the Central Swiss team is still locked in a long-distance battle with the Bern Cardinals for fourth place. Both teams won one game each of the doubleheader in Lucerne, promising an exciting matchup. Games begin at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge.
Challengers unlucky
The Challengers were unlucky on Saturday. They lost Game 1 to the Lucerne Eagles 5-7 and in the second game of the day, they blew an 8-3 lead just as the game was called off due to rain.
The Central Swiss team made it to the second round, somewhat surprisingly, at the expense of the Wil Pirates. On Saturday at the Heerenschürli they proved that this was well deserved. The visitors scored three runs in each of the first two innings and ultimately held on to their 6-2 lead. The Challengers scored two runs in the first inning after a bases-loaded walk by Leonel Sosa Marte and an RBI groundout by James Sanders. An RBI groundout by Florin Kämpfer made it 3-6 in the second inning, and they came within one run in the fifth. After a double by Kämpfer and a single by Säntis Zeller, the home team pulled within 5-6 with an RBI groundout by Ryan Byrne and a wild pitch. However, the Challengers were unable to score against relief pitcher Fernando Baez Aybar, resulting in a 5-7 loss. This realistically puts a spot in the playoff finals far out of reach.
Things fared better for the Zurich team in the afternoon game. They quickly took a 5-0 lead and maintained a comfortable 8-3 advantage going into the final inning. However, the Eagles managed to tie the game in the nick of time. Instead of allowing the Challengers to pursue a walk-off victory in the bottom half of the seventh inning, the heavens opened, forcing the game to be called without a score.
Challengers split with Flyers
The Challengers remain within striking distance of the top two teams in the Baseball NLA. After a decisive loss in the first game, the Zurich team responded strongly in the second, earning a deserved 10-5 split.
The Zurich team got off to a poor start. While the Flyers offense quickly got going, the visitors struggled to find their footing and delivered just three hits in total. That was by far not enough. The game ended early with a 12-0 win for the home team. After the break, the Challengers checked in as well. Led by pitcher Tate Stone-Frisina, who gave up just four hits and one run in five innings, with one walk and eleven strikeouts, the visitors took control early. Carlos Nepomuceno opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. The C’s made the decisive difference in the fourth inning. A single by Ryan Byrne made it 3-0, Carlos Nepomuceno followed with a two-run double, before James Sanders’ RBI double, Leonel Sosa Marte’s RBI single, and Noam Blickenstorfer’s RBI double gave Zurich an 8-0 lead.
Nepomuceno had three hits and four RBI, James Sanders also had three hits and two RBI, while Ryan Byrne, Säntis Zeller, and Leonel Sosa Marte each had two hits.
Softball-Team hosts Leader
The Challengers and the Wittenbach Panthers will face off in a softball duel on Saturday at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge. The first placed Panthers have only lost one game to date, defeating the Challengers twice in the first doubleheader of the season in mid-May. However, the Zurich team kept the first game open for a long time, losing only narrowly 7-9. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The U15 Cadets will also be in action on Saturday. The Challengers will face the Rümlang Kobras in a local derby. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Rümlang Rümelbach.
In the Baseball NLA the Challengers will travel to the leader on Sunday. The Zurich team will face the reigning champions, the Therwil Flyers, in Therwil. The Challengers have already secured their place in the intermediate round. For them, it’s all about keeping pace with the two top teams, Therwil and Zurich Barracudas. After the intermediate round, only the top two teams advance directly to the playoff final. The games are at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in Therwil Känelmatt.
Barracudas too strong, again
The Challengers were defeated again in the second night game of the weekend by their cross-town rivals. The Barracudas celebrated their 40th anniversary in style with a 5-0 victory.
The game was characterized by numerous strikeouts. Barracudas starter Nicholas Miceli recorded ten strikeouts and gave up only four hits and no walks in seven innings. Tate Stone-Frisina’s twelve strikeouts were of no use. In eight innings, he gave up a total of three hits, three runs, two of which were unearned, and two walks. The Challengers made costly errors at the wrong time in this close game, but also failed to make headway with the opposing pitches on offense. No fewer than fourteen of their 29 batters were struck out. Thus, the Barracudas secured their second derby victory in 24 hours with relative ease.
Barracudas take first Nightgame
The first major Zurich baseball derby was also the first night game at the Heerenschürli ballpark, which had been upgraded with a new backstop. What initially seemed like a clear win for the Challengers ultimately became a clear victory for the Zurich Barracudas.
The Challengers got off to the better start. The visitors scored two runs in their first inning. Leonel Sosa Marte opened the scoring with an RBI single before Carlo Nepomuceno made it 2-0 on a wild pitch. In the third inning, the pendulum swung even more decisively in the Challengers’ favor. Nepomuceno increased the lead to 4-1 with a two-run single before Nick Siemers blasted the ball over the wall in left center field to make it 6-1.
Anyone who thought the game was over isn’t familiar with the Zurich baseball derby history. It has had some crazy twists and turns in store, and that was no different on this Friday night. While the Challengers offense shut down, the Barracudas clocked in. In the fourth frame the home team made up the deficit thanks to a 2-run double by Nick Fischer and an error by the Challengers, tying the score at 6-6. Then, in the sixth inning, all hell broke loose. Even with two pitching changes, the Challengers could not extinguish the wildfire ignited by no fewer than 16 batters from the Barracudas, who were wearing their City Connect uniforms tonight. The damage to the Challengers was severe. Eleven runs, making the score 17-6, brought the game to an early end. It’s a good thing the next opportunity awaits tomorrow, Saturday evening, also at 6:30 p.m. Their opponents are once again the Zurich Barracudas.
Night games on Friday and Saturday
The schedule includes two night games at the Heerenschürli ballpark right at the summer solstice. The games between the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers will be the first night games at the Heerenschürli with its impressive new backstop. First pitch on both Friday and Saturday is at 6:30 p.m. in Zurich-Schwamendingen.
Continue Reading » Night games on Friday and SaturdaySuccessful home debut with the new backstop
In their first home game of the season at the remodeled Heerenschürli ballpark, the Challengers secured two wins against the Zurich Barracudas’ second team. The home team was sweating, and not only due to the weather.
Although the Challengers prevailed in Game 1 with a clear 13-3 score, the game was far more competitive than the score suggests. The Barracudas had the advantage in hits, 14-11, but stranded no fewer than 15 baserunners in seven innings. The Challengers were much more efficient. They took a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to an RBI double by Säntis Zeller, which brought home Florin Kämpfer, and a sac fly by Nick Siemers. They extended their lead to 8-1 by the fifth inning before sealing the deal with five more runs in the sixth.
Nick Siemers had two hits and two RBI, driving in three runs, while Florin Kämpfer, Leonel Sosa Marte, Adderly Sarmiento, and Simon Steffen each contributed two hits. Steffen also earned the win. He gave up twelve hits in 6.1 innings but only two runs with two walks and six strikeouts.
The second game of the day was far more dramatic. The Barracudas led 8-1 by the fourth inning before the Challengers also entered the game. Five runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning to make it 6-8 brought them back into the game, with the Barracudas helping out with three errors. And they cut the distance to 7-8 thanks to a hit by pitch with the bases loaded, aided by the opposing team again. The C’s were still one run away from tying the game. But things got even better for the White-blue-reds. With runners on second and third base and one out, Carlos Nepomuceno delivered a two-run single for a much-celebrated walk-off win.
Regis Reinhard shone with three hits and three runs, he also was credited with the win thanks to a shutout inning in the top of the seventh inning, while Florin Kämpfer, Carlos Nepomuceno, Nick Siemers, and Leonel Sosa Marte each had two hits.