The Challengers’ softball season is over. They have been swept by the strong Zurich Barracudas in their best-of-three semifinal series.
The Barracudas, who finished second in the qualifying round, were the favorites. However, the Challengers won two of their four preliminary round games against the reigning Swiss champions, giving the visitors legitimate hopes of an upset. But these hopes quickly vanished. The Barracudas unleashed an offensive firework right from the start, which the Challengers’ defense was no match for. Although the Challengers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Carmen Lutz-Demetz, the Barracudas scored a total of twelve runs with no fewer than ten hits, three walks, and one error in the first two innings, thus already clinching the game. The Challengers never recovered from this furious start, and after four innings the game ended with a score of 16-2 due to the mercy rule.
The break between the two games clearly helped the Challengers. In any case, they were able to keep the second game even for a long time. Both Challengers starter Karen Heimgartner and Barracudas pitcher Faith Weber kept the opposing bats under control, so that the first threat didn’t arise until the fourth inning, when the Challengers had runners on second and third base. However, Weber managed to pull herself out of trouble. The Barracudas even made it better in the fifth inning, although the runs occurred more by chance. With the bases loaded and one out, Jessica Rölli didn’t hit the ball properly, but ultimately decided the game. The ball died after five meters, making it impossible for the C’s defense to get an out at home plate. The attempt to make the play failed, and another error was added, allowing the Barracudas to score three runs on what was supposed to be a botched hit. And Faith Weber added an RBI double later in the inning to make it 4-0. With the end of the season in sight, the Challengers fought back. In the sixth inning, they once again had runners on second and third base this time with no outs. And this time the visitors were able to collect. Isabelle Tan brought home Taylor McCants with an RBI single, before the Barracudas turned a crucial double play, meaning the Challengers could only make it 2-4 a little later due to a wild pitch. In the final inning, however, national team player Mariah Jameyson put the series under the belt with a spectacular solo home run to make it 5-2. The Barracudas’ offense was ultimately too strong. They will now face the Wittenbach Panthers in the finals next weekend, just like last year. (Photo: Hans Dübendorfer)
Softball Playoff Semi-Final, best-of-three: Zürich Challengers (3.) vs. Zürich Barracudas (2.), 0-2
Game 1, Saturday, September 20, Rümlang Rümelbach: Zürich Challengers vs. Zürich Barracudas 2-16
Game 2, Saturday, September 20, Rümlang Rümelbach: Zürich Barracudas vs. Zürich Challengers 5-2

Continue Reading » Softball-Team eliminated in semi-finals

After the long break from the championships due to the European Cup tournaments and the European Softball Championship, which Switzerland finished in an excellent 12th place, the Swiss softball playoffs begin next Saturday. A curious twist is emerging: All games in the best-of-3 semifinal series between the Wittenbach Panthers and the Luzern Eagles on the one hand, and the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers on the other, will be played as tripleheaders on Saturday, September 20th.
The Zurich derby promises to be quite exciting again. The preliminary round saw a split in both doubleheaders. However, the Barracudas had the edge in the standings with a 16-4 record compared to the Challengers’ 12-8 record. Another advantage for the Barracudas could be the playing experience they gained at the European Cup in Enschede, Netherlands, where they only lost in the final to the French representative. The Challengers will argue that they are more rested and have been able to prepare specifically for the playoffs, the highlight of their season. Next Saturday Rümlang Rümelbach will reveal where the truth lies.
Softball Playoff Semi-Final, best-of-three: Zürich Challengers (3.) vs. Zürich Barracudas (2.), 0-0
Game 1, Saturday, September 20, 10 a.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zürich Challengers vs. Zürich Barracudas
Game 2, Saturday, September 20, 12.30 p.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zürich Barracudas vs. Zürich Challengers
Game 3, Saturday, September 20, 3 p.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zürich Challengers vs. Zürich Barracudas (if necessary)
Head-to-head:
Season Series: Zürich Barracudas vs. Zürich Challengers 2-2 Wins
Overall (since 2011): Zürich Barracudas vs. Zürich Challengers 42-18 Wins
Playoff Series: Zürich Barracudas vs. Zürich Challengers 1-3 Series Wins
Last Playoff Series: Semi-Final 2024: Zürich Barracudas vs. Zürich Challengers 2-0 Wins

Continue Reading » Softball Semi-Finals on Saturday at Rümlang

55 hits, 44 walks, 22 errors, 84 runs, seven lead changes, one walk-off win, and ultimately a win each for the Bern Cardinals and the Zurich Challengers. This softball doubleheader at the end of the preliminary round had it all. The Challengers will face their local rivals and reigning champions, the Zurich Barracudas, in the playoff semifinals – once more.
On the final day of the preliminary round of the Swiss Softball Championship the Zurich Barracudas and the Wittenbach Panthers were still fighting for first place and thus home-field advantage for a potential final series. The duel between the Challengers and the Cardinals, however, lacked the edge. For the home team the season was already over, while the Challengers were already safely in third place and thus in the playoff semifinals. But the encounter quickly developed into one of the wilder ones. Both teams appeared anything but confident in their actions, but they knew how to respond to setbacks time and again. The Challengers surrendered the lead no fewer than three times in Game 1. Most recently in the seventh inning, when they couldn’t finish a 17-13 lead, and the Cardinals were rewarded for their fighting spirit with a 18-17 walk-off win.
Anouchka Michel went 3-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI, and three runs. Isabelle Tan and Simone Zurschmitten each collected three RBI and Carmen Lutz-Demetz recorded two hits and two runs for the Challengers.
In the second game the Challengers seemed to take control. They quickly pulled ahead 12-1. But the script for this game, too, didn’t call for a straightforward storyline, but rather a lot of twists and turns. After four innings the Cardinals suddenly led 15-12. But the Challengers found their way back on track. With four runs in the fifth and nine runs in the sixth inning, they turned things around again and, after a total of five hours and 35 minutes of softball, finally secured their 28-21 victory.
Carmen Lutz-Demetz raised her batting average to exactly .500 with four hits, also driving in four RBI and scoring three runs. Simona Cellar went 4-for-4 with a triple, a double, four runs scored, and two RBI. Isabelle Tan had three extra-base hits, three RBI, and four runs. Marianne Aellen also had three hits with two RBI and four runs scored, while Molly Mullens added four RBI for the visitors.
The European Cup tournaments in softball follow at the end of August and the European Championships will take place in Prague from September 7th to 13th, which is why the playoffs won’t start until September 20th. From Zurich’s perspective, it’s the Challengers vs. Barracudas derby.

Continue Reading » Crazy softball doubleheader

The doubleheader between the Lucerne Eagles and the Zurich Challengers was not for the faint of heart. The two teams pushed each other to the limit over a total of four and a half hours. While the Challengers ultimately prevailed in Game 1 with a clear 15-8 victory, they were only able to settle Game 2 in the third extra inning.
The visitors from Central Switzerland got off to a better start. The Eagles took a 5-0 lead in the second inning. However, the home team didn’t panic and narrowed the lead to 4-6 by the third inning. And they turned the game around in the fourth. The Challengers loaded the bases with no outs before Anouchka Michel with an RBI groundout and Lara Müller with an RBI single tied the game at 6-6. Once they got going, the Challengers never let up. Marianne Aellen gave her team its first lead with an RBI single, before Simona Cellar added an RBI groundout and Carmen Lutz-Demetz added a two-run double and a steal to home to make it 11-6. The Eagles narrowed the gap to 8-11, but Aellen and Cellar’s RBI singles, along with Lutz-Demetz’s another two-run double, ended the game early in the fifth.
Carmen Lutz-Demetz had three hits and four RBI, Simona Cellar had two hits and four RBI, while Tamara Ammeter, Lara Müller, and Marianne Aellen each collected two hits.
The second game featured a pitcher’s duel between American Georgia Ingle for the Eagles and Leandra Simitovic for the Challengers. The battle was on a knife-edge throughout the game. No team ever led by more than a run, and the Challengers managed to tie a visitors’ lead four times. The Eagles opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI double by Noelani Scazzariello. The lead held until the fifth inning before Isabelle Tan broke the Eagles’ defense with a bunt single. But in the very next inning, the Central Swiss team struck back with an RBI double by Michelle Keller. But the Challengers immediately tied the game again with a bunt single by Lara Müller. With the score tied at 2-2, the game went into extra innings. And the drama unfolded. The Eagles brought the ghost runner across the plate in both the seventh and eighth innings, but the Challengers also managed to score a run on both occasions. The visitors escaped a bases loaded situation in both innings and thus avoided defeat. In the tenth inning, however, the Challengers survived the Eagles’ attack unscathed, giving them another chance to win. And indeed, they did. Designated runner Marianne Aellen advanced to third base on a wild pitch and profited from an opposing error to secure the 5-4 walk-off win.
Georgia Ingle ultimately surrendered twelve hits and five runs in nine innings, only one earned, with 13 strikeouts, while Leandra Simitovic became the first pitcher in Challengers history to pitch ten innings, in which she gave up ten hits and four runs, also only one earned, and recorded eight strikeouts. The one against Alexandra Aregger in the ninth inning was the 900th strikeout of her career.

Continue Reading » Softball-Team sweeps Eagles in third Eaxtra-Inning

After recent strong performances, the Challengers Softball-Team was devastated by league leaders Wittenbach Panthers. The Eastern Swiss team allowed virtually nothing and walked away with two wins from Zurich.
In the morning game both teams showed several spectacular defensive plays. Both pitchers, Felicitas Schatton for the Panthers and Anouchka Michel for the Challengers, had a good day too. This prevented their offenses from flourishing. Overall, however, the visitors from Eastern Switzerland had a slight advantage, resulting in a well-deserved 7-0 victory.
In the second game of the day, the Panthers took a 1-0 lead again. But the Challengers also had their moments on offense this time. Marianne Aellen brought home Karen Hendren and Simone Zuschnitten with a two-run double, turning the game around. After three innings, the score was tied 2-2. But then the Challengers came to a standstill. The league leader scored eight runs off six hits and two errors, clinching the game. The Challengers’ offense lacked the necessary punch on Saturday, resulting in another decisive 4-15 defeat.

Continue Reading » First placed Panthers too strong for Challengers

The Zurich Barracudas and Zurich Challengers softball teams shared the wins again in Saturday’s second doubleheader in Rümlang. The Challengers won a rollercoaster Game 1, while the Barracudas turned Game 2 around.
Due to the heat first pitch was moved up an hour. However both teams showed their readiness. The first game of the day was back-and-forth. The Challengers immediately pulled ahead 5-0. The Barracudas recovered this deficit by the third inning. The home team also had an answer to the Challengers’ 6-5 lead that came thanks to a solo home run by Alexia Zingg. And with the Challengers leading again at 7-6, Andrea Brändli hit an RBI triple before giving her team the lead for the first time after a wild pitch. But the visitors had the final word. Janina Liechti tied the game with an RBI single, and Simone Zuschnitten made it 9-8. The Challengers extended their lead to 11-8 in the final inning following an error by the home team.
Isabelle Tan had three hits, Alexia Zingg had two hits with a home run and scored three runs, Taylor McCants and Karen Hendren each had two hits, while Simone Zuschnitten had one hit and three RBI. Karen Heimgartner earned the win, as she gave up five hits and three runs in 4.2 innings, with four walks and six strikeouts.
The Challengers were close to snatching a second win from Rümlang. They took a 6-2 lead with five runs in the third inning and were still ahead 9-6 in the fifth. But then the defense couldn’t get out of the inning, while the Barracudas scored no fewer than nine runs and were able to turn the game around. The Challengers couldn’t add more than two runs to make it 11-15. Although they were clearly ahead 15-10 in hits, the ten walks given up ultimately cost them the win.
Taylor McCants exploded for four hits and three runs, Isabelle Tan again had three hits and three RBI, while Simona Cellar, Carmen Lutz-Demetz and Karen Heimgartner all had two hits apiece.

Continue Reading » Zurich Softball-Teams split again