A lot is new in the Challengers NLB-Team. With Farid Bekkali and Martin Strzodka two new skippers took over. Their main task is to introduce more young players to adult baseball and to give young players more responsibility. After all these are the future pillars of the first team.
Special about the start of the season was that Bekkali and Strzodka met their old club, the Zurich Barracudas, on Opening Day. There, however, they were responsible for the 1st league team. The philosophy of supporting young players was also evident in the lineup. The coaches gave the ball to pitcher Florin Kämpfer, who made his first Opening Day start for the NLB team. He was a bit wild with seven walks in three innings, but Kämpfer only gave up one hit and three runs, two of them earned, and handed the game to the bullpen with a 5-3 lead. Patrick Zöllig provided the first Challengers run of the season, Honey Gigato Romero, who joined the Challengers from the Zurich Eighters, celebrated a successful debut with an RBI single and Oliver Bernet made it 5-3 with a 2-run double. The Challengers defended this lead and ultimately won 8-4. Patrick Zöllig got the save with the last two outs of the game.
In Game 2 Joseph Stotz was given the start for the Challengers on the pitcher’s mound. The Barracudas had their sights sharpened in the break between the two games, scoring four runs on four hits in the first inning. In contrast, the Challengers’ yield remained low with an RBI single from Jack Siemers. Stotz did his job well and left the mound after three innings with five hits, five runs, four earned, two walks and one strikeout. But then came the fourth inning in which all the dams broke. From seven hits, seven walks, four hit batters and two errors the Barracudas scored 18 runs, meaning the fair was over. The Barracudas celebrated a 23-2 win.

The NLB-Team walks away with two important victories in the battle for a playoff spot against the Lausanne Indians. While the guests from western Switzerland give up the first game, the Challengers make life difficult for themselves in game two after a 10-run lead, but hold on for eventually win 15-14.
The first game will see a 7-0 win for the Challengers. The Vaudois only had one Swiss pitcher in their lineup, but he wasn’t in the game for long. The visitors threw in the towel after the first half of the third inning. In game two the Challengers looked like the sure winner for a long time too. They countered the Indians’ three runs in the first inning with five of their own and after three innings the home team led 14-4. But the lead then melted away like snow in the spring sun. Going into the final inning, the Challengers were still 15-11 ahead. But Lausanne came close with a double, a walk and three straight RBI-singles to make it 14-15 with the tying run on second base. Closer Adderly Sarmiento then managed an eminently important pickoff, because shortly afterwards the bases were loaded with two outs – and a full count. But with the last pitch, the Challengers managed the decisive out, with which they secured the victory. They overtake today’s opponent in the standings and are back on 4th place.
Nick Siemers hit a triple and a double and racked up five RBIs, David Morroni had three hits and Alex Gordon had two hits and two RBIs in the win. Joseph Stotz was credited with the win, while Adderly Sarmiento collected the save.

The NLB-Team does not manage the turnaround. After losing the last derby against Barracudas Academy by the narrowest of margins 13-14, it sets off a 2-8 loss on Wednesday night. Only three hits but five errors are the main reasons for the renewed derby defeat.
The Challengers have two wins and seven losses after nine games. Next Saturday there will be a decisive clash for qualifying for the playoffs with the Lausanne Indians in Zurich’s Heerenschürli ballpark. The Indians are only half a game ahead of the Challengers in fourth place.