As always, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May in Switzerland. And the Challengers Softball women’s team hosts a home game against the Bern Cardinals. After a successful start to the season against the SG Frogs/Flyers, the C’s will look to carry the momentum into their duel with the team from the Swiss capital. Games will kick off at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge.
The U15 Cadets will be in action on Saturday, aiming for their first win of the season in Wil, St. Gallen. Their opponents will once again be the Rümlang Kobras and the SG Pirates. The games begin at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Wil Lindenhof.
The U12 Juveniles will also travel to Wil on Sunday. The Challengers, undefeated this season, will face the Wil Devils. The games will be played at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Lindenhof in Wil.
Posts in the Softball category:
Softball Homegame on Mother’s Day
Two wins for Softball-Team on Opening Day
The softball women’s team won twice on Opening Day against the SG Frogs/Flyers. The rejuvenated team delivered a refreshing performance, impressing both offensively and defensively.
After a four-year absence from the championship, the twelve-time Swiss champion Therwil Flyers will field a team again in 2025. This year the young to very young players will compete in a joint team with neighboring Sissach. The first trip took the SG Frogs/Flyers to Zurich’s Klopstockwiese. The Challengers’ equally rejuvenated team was able to count on several returning players, who were sorely missed, compared to last year’s playoffs. The Zurich team got off to a good start. After two innings they were already leading 10-5. And after just over an hour and a half the Challengers put the game away 17-7 in the fourth inning.
Marianne Allen had two hits, Mia Matas collected three RBI, Tylor McCants and Tamara Ammeter each had two RBI, and Anouchka Michel scored four runs. Michel had even more reason to celebrate. The 17-year-old pitched four innings for the first time and earned her first career win.
The visitors got off to a better start in the second game. The Baselbieter team took a 3-0 and then a 7-3 lead. But the Challengers didn’t let that bother them. They had no reason to. Their offense kept things moving, and their defense made several nice plays. And in the third inning they turned things around. The Zurich team scored seven hits and eleven runs for a seven run lead. They sealed the victory in the fourth inning scoring three more runs and finally winning Game 2 17-7.
Simona Cellar led the strong offense with three hits, two RBI and three runs. Anouchka Michel, Taylor McCants and Karen Hendren, who had a strong debut for the Challengers, each had two hits and three RBI, while Mia Matas and Lara Müller each contributed one hit and two RBI. Tamara Ammeter was credited with the win with a scoreless fourth inning after starter Simone Zurschmitten gave her the ball with a seven run lead.
Opening Day for Softball and NLA
The Softball and NLA teams will also begin their 2025 season on Saturday. While the women’s softball team hosts the SG Frogs/Flyers at home on the Klopstockwiese, the men’s championship begins in Sissach.
The Softball-Team will face the Sissach Frogs and Therwil Flyers in their home opener on the Klopstockwiese. The multiple champions Flyers are returning to the championship after several years of absence, at least as part of the Basel-based team. The Challengers are expecting a return of several players who were unable to participate last season. The games on the Klopstockwiese begin at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the NLA team will play its first home game against their opponents in Sissach. Due to construction work being carried out at the home field in Heerenschürli for the impressive new backstop, the field is not yet ready for play. The Frogs, who are back in the top division due to the format change and the expansion of the NLA to seven teams, will approach the NLA adventure with great motivation. The games in Sissach Tannbrunn start at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Byrne, Heimgartner honored at the SBSF Awards Night
At the Swiss Baseball and Softball Awards Night, which took place on February 22nd at the Crown Plaza in Zurich, the Swiss Champion teams of the 2024 season were honored and the winners of the individual awards were announced. Among the honored players were two members of the Challengers.
Ryan Byrne was chosen as MVP of the Baseball NLA. The Swiss national team player had a strong season with a batting average of .585, 31 hits, 1 home run, 28 runs and 9 RBI as well as an ERA of 1.91 with 38 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched and a 2-2 record. His offensive statistics also earned him the award as Best Batter in the NLA.
Meanwhile Karen Heimgartner was named the best pitcher in the softball league. She had a 4.99 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 26.2 innings and a 2-3 record last season. Heimgartner has 913 strikeouts in her 19 seasons with the Challengers, 16 of which she also pitched.
First MVP Award for Isabelle Tan
After winning the award for Best Batter twice, Isabelle Tan has now also won the award as MVP of the Softball-Team for the first time. In the 2024 season she totaled a batting average of .271, 13 hits, 2 home runs, 24 runs, 21 RBI and a fielding percentage of .972. The title for the Best Batter went to Carmen Lutz-Demetz. She achieved a batting average of .455, 25 hits, 1 home run and 21 RBI. Leandra Simitovic was voted Best Pitcher of the Softball-Team for the tenth time already. She posted an ERA of 4.77 with 18 strikeouts and 3 wins. Simone Zurschmitten was chosen as Best Fielder with a fielding percentage of .929 in 56 chances. The MIP award went to Anouchka Michel. She achieved 8 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched, had a fielding percentage of 1.000 and made her debut with the U22 Softball national team. Marianne Aellen was named Rookie of the Year. She had a batting average of .125 and an on-base percentage of .364 and recorded 5 RBI.
Continue Reading » First MVP Award for Isabelle TanEnd of the line for the Softball-Team in semifinals
The season is over for the Softball-Team. The Challengers had no chance in the semifinals against their cantonal rivals Zurich Barracudas. The long list of names on the DL weighed too heavily.
While the Challengers had won the semifinals against the Barracudas in the past three years – albeit narrowly – this time they were the clear underdogs. All four duels in the qualification went to the Barracudas, while the Challengers had to mobilize the last squad. The names on the DL alone would have made for a very competitive team. Nevertheless the guests got off to a good start in the first game of the best-of-three series. Isabelle Tan scored the first run of the game after a walk and two errors. But the Barracudas also had a solid start with two runs. While the Challengers were stopped on the bases in the following innings with a double play and a pick-off, the Barracudas managed to make the preliminary decision with two runs in the second and three runs in the third inning, making it 7-1. Two hits by Carmen Lutz-Demetz were the only offensive output for the Challengers. Although the Barracudas only recorded five hits and the errors remained at the same level with two versus three and walks with seven each, the Barracudas still won the statistically relatively close game clearly with 9-1. However, softball games can rarely be won with two hits only.
Only a miracle could have extended the Challengers’ season now. Alexandra McCutcheon took over as the pitcher for the Barracudas in Game 2. The American lived up to her advance praise, allowing only three hits, three unearned runs and two walks, while sending 13 opposing batters back to the dugout with strikeouts. On the other hand, the Barracudas put on a gala performance. They recorded 21 hits and 24 runs, which allowed them to qualify for the final for the first time since 2020. For the Challengers, on the other hand, a season ended in the semifinals for the first time in four years. Given the personnel problems however, more was hardly possible. Nevertheless there were also some bright spots for the Challengers. For example, there was the strong debut year of Marianne Aellen or the positive development of Anouchka Michel. And by next spring, one or the other injury will have healed.
Softball Playoff Semifinals Zurich Barracudas vs. Zurich Challengers: Score 2-0 (best-of-three)
Saturday, September 14, 12:00 p.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zurich Challengers vs. Zurich Barracudas 1-9
Saturday, September 14, 2:30 p.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zurich Challengers vs. Zurich Barracudas 3-24
Softball Playoffs with Zurich derby
After the European Cup tournaments and the European Softball Championship, which Switzerland finished in a good 14th place, the decisive phase of the domestic championship begins with the playoff semifinals. The title holder Wittenbach Panthers will face the Bern Cardinals, while the second semifinal series will be played by the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers, as in the past three years.
The Challengers have fond memories of the last three playoff semifinal series against their local rivals. In the current season, however, the Barracudas have established themselves as the second force behind the reigning champion Wittenbach. The Barracudas have won all four games against the Challengers, the last two duels by a very clear margin. While the Challengers have been able to use their greater experience to decisively defeat the young Barracudas team in the playoffs in recent years, the Greens are likely to be the favorites this year. But perhaps the Challengers can once again exploit their full potential in the semifinals. Something they have barely managed to do this season. Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-three series will take place on Saturday in Rümlang.
Softball playoff semifinals Zurich Barracudas vs. Zurich Challengers: 0-0 (best-of-three)
Saturday, September 14, 12:00 p.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zurich Challengers vs. Zurich Barracudas
Saturday, September 14, 2:30 p.m., Rümlang Rümelbach: Zurich Challengers vs. Zurich Barracudas
Saturday, September 21, 12:00 p.m., Zurich Klopstockwiese (if necessary): Zurich Barracudas vs. Zurich Challengers
Season duel: Barracudas vs. Challengers 4-0 (11-9, 12-10, 16-3, 9-1)
Wins since 2011: Barracudas vs. Challengers 38-16
Last playoff series: Barracudas vs. Challengers 1-2 (semifinals 2023)
Number of titles: Barracudas 11 (last 2020), Challengers 2 (last 2021)
Challengers finish in 3rd place at the Softball European Cup
The Challengers took part in the Women’s Softball European Cup Winners Cup “B” in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium last week. After a veritable run of improvement with four wins in a row they finished the tournament in third place.
In Belgium the Challengers met the Egedal Stars from Denmark, MRKI Medvedi from Croatia and the host Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix. The start of the tournament was anything but optimal for the Zurich team. On the opening day the Challengers had to admit losses to both the Danes from Egedal and the Croatians. There was more to it, especially in the game against Egedal, as the score was still 1-1 after five innings before the Danes managed to decide the match. The game against the hosts Mont-Saint-Guibert was similar. Here too the game was tied before the Belgians were able to pull away with a six-run inning.
But the Zurich team improved over the course of the tournament. They were unrecognizable in the return matches against the same teams. The Challengers beat Egedal 8-0, against Medvedi they took an early 6-0 lead to the finish line with a 7-5 win despite a comeback by the Croatians, and in the last preliminary round game they inflicted the only defeat of the tournament on the home team, which had already qualified for the final, with a 9-1 win. Ultimately the Challengers missed out on reaching the final due to the run difference with the Croatians, who had the same number of wins.
In the Bronze Medal Game the Challengers faced the Egedal Stars again. The Zurich team took a 2-0 lead in the third inning and were able to immediately respond to the Danes’ run in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Carmen Lutz-Demetz to make it 3-1. Pitcher Madison Johnson brought the victory home and secured third place for the Challengers. Pick-up player Madison Johnson was also voted the best pitcher of the tournament.
Results:
Tuesday, August 20th, 11.30am: Egedal Stars vs. Zürich Challengers 6-2
Tuesday, August 20th, 4.30pm: MRKI Medvedi vs. Zürich Challengers 10-6
Wednesday, August 21st, 7pm: Zürich Challengers vs. Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix 1-8
Thursday, August 22nd, 11.30am: Zürich Challengers vs. Egedal Stars 8-0
Thursday, August 22nd, 4:30 p.m.: Zürich Challengers vs. MRKI Medvedi 7-5
Friday, August 23rd, 7:00 p.m.: Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix vs. Zürich Challengers 1-9
Saturday, August 24th, 2:00 p.m.: Bronze Medal Game Egedal Stars vs. Zürich Challengers 1-3
Saturday, August 24th, 5:00 p.m.: Final MRKI Medvedi vs. Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix 0-8
Women’s Softball European Cup Winners Cup B in Belgium
The Challengers are representing Swiss Softball on the European stage for the fourth year in a row. The Zurich team will compete against international teams next week from August 20th to 24th at the Women’s Softball European Cup Winners Cup “B” in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium.
The Challengers will face the Egedal Stars from Denmark, MRKI Medvedi from Croatia and the host Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix in Belgium. Due to the Thunderbirds from Israel cancelling at short notice due to the current situation at home, the schedule had to be adjusted at short notice. In the preliminary round, each team will now play against the other three teams twice. On Saturday there will be the final between the first and second placed teams. The third and fourth placed teams will play the so-called Bronze Medal Game.
The Zurich team will play twice on Tuesday. After the opening game against the Danes from Egedal, the Challengers will face MRKI Medvedi later in the afternoon. The games will be streamed live on the Baseball Europe TV channel.
Schedule:
Tuesday, August 20th, 11:30 a.m.: Egedal Stars vs. Zürich Challengers
Tuesday, August 20th, 4:30 p.m.: MRKI Medvedi vs. Zürich Challengers
Wednesday, August 21st, 7:00 p.m.: Zürich Challengers vs. Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix
Thursday, August 22nd, 11:30 a.m.: Zürich Challengers vs. Egedal Stars
Thursday, August 22nd, 4:30 p.m.: Zürich Challengers vs. MRKI Medvedi
Friday, August 23rd, 7:00 p.m.: Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, August 24th, 2:00 p.m.: Bronze Medal Game
Saturday, August 24th, 5:00 p.m.: Final
Softball-Team sweeps the Cardinals
The Softball-Team stopped its losing streak of six losses in a row and won twice against the Bern Cardinals. In both games the Challengers managed to turn things around late after falling behind in the early innings.
The first game was a wild affair for long periods, with both sides making a lot of mistakes. The home team led 15-12 after three innings before the Challengers got their defensive actions a little more organized. The Zurich team kept the pressure on offense, took the lead 17-16 in the fourth inning also thanks to a 2-run home run by Isabelle Tan, and decided the game with eight runs in the sixth inning to make it 25-17.
Molly Mullens had three hits and four runs, Isabelle Tan collected three RBI and scored five runs, while Marianne Aellen contributed four RBI to the win.
The second game was very similar. The Bern Cardinals took the lead again, this time 9-5. But the Challengers answered again. With nine runs in the last two innings the Challengers managed to turn things around again to 16-9. The Challengers remain in third place in the standings with a record of 11-7.