For the second time this week the Zurich Barracudas Academy and the Zurich Challengers faced each other on Saturday. night. The C’s won 15-5 on Wednesday, but initially lacked everything on Saturday that had characterized them winning three days ago. In the sixth inning, however, they turned the game around spectacularly, only to ultimately leave the field as losers, 13-14.
At first only the Academy played. Toxic in every at bat and rock solid on defense, the young Barracudas held an 8-0 lead well into the fourth inning. The Challengers then also signed up for the game with an RBI single from Andreas Rüdisühli and a bases loaded walk from Patrick Zöllig. In the sixth inning the Challengers finally reached operating temperature. They made nine runs from no less than ten hits and suddenly found themselves leading 12-11.
Noam Blickenstorfer opened the rally with a single, followed by a single by Adderly Sarmiento, before Tobias Siegrist brought home the first runs with a 2-run single. Thomas Landis with a double, Florin Kampfer with a 2-run single, Kurt Kovac with an RBI single and Jacob Stotz with a 2-run single continued to gain ground before Adderly Sarmiento with another 2-run single put the Challengers ahead with a score of 12-11.
In line with this crazy course of play, the Barracudas came back again. With two errors, the Challengers defense helped the Academy to regain a 2-run lead. In the end, this was enough. Closer Seiya Eigenheer gave up a lead-off double and a run against Thomas Landis, but ended the game with two strikeouts to walk away with a 14-13 win for the Barracudas.
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NLB-Team with huge rally, but still on the losing end
Softball Derby in Rümlang
On Saturday, the first Zurich Softball derby of the season will take place in Rümlang between the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers. It is also the duel behind the reigning champion Wittenbach. The Challengers are in third place with four wins and two losses, while the Barracudas are still clean sheets after four games played. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Rümlang Rümelbach.
The U15-Cadets will also be in action on Saturday. They will meet the Hünenberg Unicorns and the Rümlang Kobras in Hünenberg. The Challengers will look to maintain their unbeaten run this season. The games start at 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. in Hünenberg Rony.
On Saturday evening there will also be a rematch of the NLB Zurich derby between the Zurich Barracudas Academy and the Zurich Challengers in the Heerenschürli ballpark. The game starts at 6 p.m.
The 1st League-Team concludes the game day. The third team of the Challengers welcomes the Zurich Eighters and the SG Wittenbach-Romanshorn/Wil Devils to the Heerenschürli ballpark on Sunday, June 4th. Games start at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
NLB-Team wins Nightgame
The NLB-Team wins the derby against the Zurich Barracudas Academy on Wednesday night. With seven runs in the first inning, they pave the way early to a safe 15-5 win.
Against the young team of the Academy, the veterans of the Challengers showed themselves to be in charge. Patrick Zöllig and Thomas Landis each had three hits, Thomas Blank, Adderly Sarmiento and Ryan Koley contributed two hits each, and Juan Francisco Robles allowed just five hits, one run and one walk in four innings with three strikeouts for the win.
NLB Nightgames on Wednesday and Saturday
In the NLB there are two night games planned this week between the Zurich Barracudas Academy and the Challengers. The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 31st at 7 p.m. at the Heerenschürli ball park. Game 2 will take place on Saturday, June 3rd at 6 p.m.
Continue Reading » NLB Nightgames on Wednesday and SaturdayNLB-Nightgame canceled
The NLB night game scheduled for Tuesday evening between the Zurich Barracudas Academy and the Challengers had to be canceled due to the rain and the unplayable field.
The game was originally scheduled for April 2nd as a season opener and has now had to be canceled and rescheduled for the second time.
NLB-Team outperformed by Eagles
The NLB team opens its season with two home defeats against offensively strong Lucerne Eagles. However, the results belie the much tighter gameplay.
It took the Challengers a bit to get stamped in the 2023 season. When Patrick Zöllig, Thomas Blank and Florin Kampfer scored the first runs for the Challengers in the third inning, the guests from Central Switzerland led already by five runs. The Eagles also knew how to respond to Zurich’s comeback. In the fifth inning Marcell Pena Reyes delivered a two-run double to make it 7-3 and they answered Thomas Blank’s sac fly with two more runs to make it 9-4. In the last inning the father-son combination was successful. Adrian Kampfer brought home his son Florin with an RBI single for a final score of 5-9. The most successful batter of the Challengers was Andreas Rüdisühli with two hits, while Patrick Zöllig and Florin Kampfer scored two runs each.
The second game began much like the opener. The Eagles were productive from the start, so their seven runs in the fourth inning were offset by an RBI-single from Adrian Kampfer only. However, the Challengers got back into the game again. A two-run single by Adderly Sarmiento brought home Noam Blickenstorfer and Ryan Koley, and in the fifth inning Denyo Benz, Ryan Koley and Adrian Kampfer, after a sac fly by Kurt Kovac, made it 6-8. But the guests had a final bouquet ready. With four hits and two errors by the Challengers, they managed five runs in the sixth inning before things fell apart in the Challengers defense in the last round and the Eagles eventually won 26-11 with an incredible 13 runs in the last frame.
Changes for NLB schedule
Due to the Dulliken Ravens’ last-minute withdrawal from this year’s NLB Championship, the schedule is undergoing some changes. After the opening day of the second Challengers team on April 2nd was canceled due to rain, the second planned game day on April 16th in Dulliken is now canceled as well. So the season for the Challengers will now start on April 29th with a double header at the Heerenschürli ballpark against the Luzern Eagles. Since the home games against the Ravens on May 21st are also canceled, the Challengers will play in the Heerenschürli for the second time on Wednesday, May 31st. Opponent in a night game will be the Barracudas Academy.
Continue Reading » Changes for NLB scheduleOpening Day postponed
The opening day in Swiss baseball on Saturday, April 1st in the Heerenschürli ballpark has to be canceled because of an unplayable field. The reprise of last year’s final between the Zurich Challengers and the Therwil Flyers cannot take place. The field, which was soaked after the wet last week of March and the occasional heavy rain on Friday afternoon, is in no condition to play. No make-up date has been announced so far. The earliest possible date according to the league’s schedules would be July 22nd.
The season opening of the NLB-Team on Sunday, April 2 has also been canceled. The second team of the Challengers would have met the Barracudas Academy on their opening day. A rescheduling of the games is still pending. And also the first game day of the 2023 season for the U15-Cadets has been canceled. (photo Stadt Zürich)
Nightgames on Friday and Saturday at the Heerenschürli
The upcoming weekend offers everything for the fans of the Challengers. It starts on Friday, June 30 at 6.30 pm with a NLA nightgame at the Heerenschürli ballpark between the Challengers and their cross-town rivals Zürich Barracudas. The C’s won the first two games against the Barracudas, but both games were on the edge till the last play. Friday’s game will be under a special motto, as the C’s are collecting for the expansion of the vacation center Wannental of the Altried Foundation. More informations about the project can be found at Stiftung Altried and Ferienzentrum Wannental
On Saturday, July 1 the NLB-Team will host the Hünenberg Unicorns at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm at the Heerenschürli ballpark in a fight for 1st place between the best two NLB teams in 2017. Both teams lost only one game in 2017, as they split in their first double header in May.
And at 6.00 pm there will take place the second NLA nightgame between the Challengers and the Barracudas.
Opening Day on Saturday
The Challengers 2017 season will start with a Home Opener against the Luzern Eagles on Saturday, April 22 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The team of head coach Robert Sedin added several players to their 2017 roster. The debut of pitcher Sandy Patrone in a Challengers uniform is particularly exciting. The Dominican played 13 years for Rimini Baseball in the Italian Baseball League and won the Italian Championship in 2006. The 33-year-old also pitched 25 times for the Italian Nationalteam and played 2003, 2007 and 2009 at the World Chmapionships. The games against the Eagles will also be very special for Andrea Girasole and Patrick Maier. Both played the last three seasons for the Eagles before returning to the Challengers in 2017. Patrick Zöllig will also give his comeback almost eight years after his last game for the C’s. The games start at 11 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. at the Heerenschürli.
The NLB-Team will open its 2017 campaign against the Thun Hunters. The two teams will meet on Sunday, April 23 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The games will begin at 11 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.