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.

Continue Reading » Dramatic NLB Game

It was a turbulent week for the NLB-Team. On Wednesday, the Challengers learned that, due to the Hünenberg Unicorns’ withdrawal, they would inherit their spot in the intermediate round and thus also in the NLB playoffs. However, on Saturday they immediately had to take over the Unicorns’ slot on the field against the Lausanne Indians as well. And ultimately they won both games by one run.
Assembling a team on such short notice, especially during the summer holidays, would have been virtually impossible. But the Swiss Baseball and Softball Federation approved the midweek transfer of three Unicorns players to the Challengers, enabling the games against the Lausanne Indians to take place. The first game of the day featured a pitcher’s duel between Maxime Flayol for the Indians and Ari Lonstein, the Unicorn, who was essentially a guest pitcher for the Challengers. Flayol delivered a strong performance for Lausanne, giving up only five hits and two runs, one earned, with one walk and six strikeouts. However, this wasn’t enough for the victory. Lonstein even topped this performance. He allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings, with four walks and thirteen strikeouts. On offense, Fabrizio Bucher organized the Challengers’ two runs with a single in the first inning and an RBI groundout in the third, while the defense was able to stave off the tie in the top of the seventh inning thanks to an out against the Indians’ batter-runner, who was trying to stretch a single into a double.
The second game was not only a battle between the Indians and the Challengers, but also a battle against the elements. The game had to be called off early in the fifth inning due to heavy rain. And the Challengers once again had the better ending. In the previous inning, Kazuki Sato scored the decisive run on a wild pitch, making the score 7-6. The Zurich team was previously down 2-5, but the Challengers turned the game around with an RBI groundout by Sato in the second inning and runs by Unicorns catcher Marvin Müller, Mike Siemers, and Noam Blickenstorfer in the third.
By advancing to the intermediate round, the Challengers will now play two night games against the Zurich Barracudas Academy at their home ballpark, Heerenschürli, on Monday and Tuesday, August 4 and 5.

Continue Reading » Two unexpected Wins for NLB-Team

The NLB-Team narrowly missed reaching the intermediate round and thus the playoffs. However, the Challengers can still compete for the NLB crown. The Zurich team inherits the Hünenberg Unicorns’ spot in the intermediate round, who definitively withdrew their team from the championship after two forfeit losses last weekend. The Unicorns club management has taken tough internal disciplinary action and accepts the consequences of an early end to the season due to a lack of remaining players. The Technical Commission of the Swiss Baseball and Softball Federation has now decided that the Challengers, as the fifth-place team, will be allowed to move up.
For the Challengers, this means they must, or rather, will be allowed to, play against the Lausanne Indians tomorrow, Saturday, in Hünenberg. At the beginning of August, there will be two night games against the Zurich Barracudas Academy, followed by a playoff duel with either the Wil Pirates or the Zurich Barracudas’ second team.

Continue Reading » NLB-Team inherits playoff spot

The Challengers and the Zurich Barracudas Academy faced off on Sunday in a decisive doubleheader for fourth place in the standings. After a blowout in Game 1, which the Barracudas won early 22-2, the Challengers rallied to win 12-11 with seven runs in the sixth inning in Game 2.
The Challengers’ opening game was not going well at all. They lacked many of the things they had done so well in recent games. In particular, the pitchers had immense trouble finding the strike zone, so the 18 walks issued largely explain the final score of 2-22. Jasper Freigang and Patrick Zöllig each had two hits for the Challengers.
Game 2 also looked like a loss for the Challengers for a long time. The Academy was already leading 11-5 in the sixth inning before the home team pulled off a miracle. With four hits, two walks with the bases loaded, and aggressive baserunning, the Challengers turned the game around and took a 12-11 lead. The Barracudas had one more inning to tie the game, but pitcher Jack Siemers threw two strikeouts before catcher Fabrizio Bucher caught stealing the opposing baserunner, ending the game.
With this last-minute win, the Challengers temporarily moved into the fourth place and overtook the Lausanne Indians, who lost both games against the Zurich Lions. However, the Lausanne team will face the last placed Therwil Flyers in a week and have a chance to knock the Challengers out of the top four.

Continue Reading » NLB-Team saves a Win

Poor payoff for the NLB-team on Sunday. In the small Zurich derby against the Zurich Lions the Challengers suffered two unnecessary losses. They could have won in both games.
The subjunctive is rarely a good advisor in sports. However, the Challengers lacked solid arguments on Sunday at the new Heerenschürli ballpark. They dominated Game 1 against the Zurich Lions with 12-7 hits, committed fewer errors, were more efficient with runners in scoring position, led 8-4 at one point, and lost the game 9-13.
So Jordi Bucher’s three hits remained a pattern of no value. Florin Kämpfer and Thomas Landis each had two hits, Jasper Freigang collected three RBI, and Noam Blickenstorfer added another two.
After Game 2 there were only long faces on the Challengers side. Again they controlled the game, leading 8-1 and still trailing 9-5 going into the final half inning, they were one strike away from victory at 9-7, and once again lost 9-10. Noam Blickenstorfer shone with three hits and three RBI, while Florin Kämpfer and Fabrizio Bucher had two hits apiece.
While the Lions took the lead with their two wins, the Challengers now are in a tie for fourth place with the Zurich Barracudas Academy. They will also be their next opponent next Sunday in a head-to-head matchup for a playoff spot.

Continue Reading » Tough Losses for the NLB-Team

The NLB-Team faced the Hünenberg Unicorns, who are ahead of the Challengers in the standings, on Sunday. The Zurich team secured a split in the Zugerland after a coup in Game 1.
The Unicorns opened the scoring with an early run following an error by the Challengers, but the C’s struck back impressively in the second inning. Ben Dickow tied the game with an RBI single, and Mike Siemers scored on a wild pitch to give them a 2-1 lead. Pete Nelson extended the lead with a 2-run double, Jordi Bucher with an RBI double, Bastian Kämpfer with an RBI single and Noam Blickenstorfer with a 2-run single to make it 8-1. In the third inning, Jasper Freigang added runs with an RBI single and Fabrizio Bucher with a 2-run single, before Pete Nelson provided the highlight in the fourth inning with a 2-run home run. Although the Unicorns rallied a bit toward the end of the game, the Challengers still clinched the victory 14-10.
Pete Nelson led the way offensively with three hits, four RBI, and three runs scored, while Jordi Bucher, Bastian Kämpfer, and Ben Dickow each had two hits.
In the second game however, the young team lacked the energy to repeat their performance from Game 1. On the one hand they were unable to find the recipe against the strong pitcher Ari Lonstein, allowing only two hits, on the other hand, their defense collapsed with no fewer than ten errors, making a decisive 13-0 victory for the Unicorns the logical result. With the split however, the Challengers remain in fourth place in the standings with a 5-3 record, which would qualify them for the playoffs.

Continue Reading » Split for the NLB-Team against the Unicorns