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.
Posts in the Softball category:
First placed Panthers too strong for Challengers
Softball-Team hosts Leader
The Challengers and the Wittenbach Panthers will face off in a softball duel on Saturday at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge. The first placed Panthers have only lost one game to date, defeating the Challengers twice in the first doubleheader of the season in mid-May. However, the Zurich team kept the first game open for a long time, losing only narrowly 7-9. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The U15 Cadets will also be in action on Saturday. The Challengers will face the Rümlang Kobras in a local derby. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Rümlang Rümelbach.
In the Baseball NLA the Challengers will travel to the leader on Sunday. The Zurich team will face the reigning champions, the Therwil Flyers, in Therwil. The Challengers have already secured their place in the intermediate round. For them, it’s all about keeping pace with the two top teams, Therwil and Zurich Barracudas. After the intermediate round, only the top two teams advance directly to the playoff final. The games are at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in Therwil Känelmatt.
Zurich Softball-Teams split again
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.
NLB Showdown on Sunday
On Sunday, the decisive clash for a spot in the NLB playoffs will take place at the Heerenschürli ballpark between the Zurich Challengers and the Zurich Barracudas Academy. The two teams are currently tied for fourth place with five wins and five losses each. After the preliminary round the standings will be split based on fourth place. The top four teams will then compete in the intermediate round and then, with the NLA teams ranked fifth through seventh, the playoffs for the NLB championship title. The NLB teams ranked fifth through seventh will continue to play placement games. The games begin at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
The same battle will take place on Saturday in softball between the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers. The two cantonal rivals will meet in Rümlang for a doubleheader. Games begin at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Rümlang Rümelbach.
The U15 Cadets will also be in action on Saturday. Following their first two wins of the season last weekend, the Challengers will face the SG Pirates. The games will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Hünenberg Rony.
Two wins for the Softball-Team
The Softball-Team swept the SG Sissach Frogs/Therwil Flyers. The Challengers were challenged little on their way to their 16-0 and 19-9 victories.
The visitors got off to a very focused start in Therwil. A bases-loaded walk by Isabelle Tan made it 1-0, a two-run double by Alexia Zingg made it 3-0, and a wild pitch and another walk with the bases loaded by Vianne Benz made it 5-0. This was enough for the win, as 17-year-old guest pitcher Janina Liechti from the Panthers once again delivered a strong performance as a pitcher. She allowed only two hits in four innings, with zero walks, one hit-by-pitch, and eight strikeouts for a shutout win. Meanwhile, the offense kept its foot on the gas and the game ended 16-0 after four innings. Carmen Lutz-Demetz had two hits and three RBI, Simona Cellar had two hits and two RBI and Alexia Zingg had three RBI.
The second game initially continued in the same vein. The Challengers took a 14-0 lead before the home team managed to at least slightly narrow the gap. However, this did nothing to change the Zurich team’s 19-9 victory.
Simona Cellar had an in-the-park home run and two hits with two RBI, Carmen Lutz-Demetz and Alexia Zingg each delivered two hits and three RBI, Larissa D’Hondt belted two doubles, Simone Zusrschmitten had two hits and Mrinalika Singh Dev and Amanda Marxer contributed two RBI each.
Big Weekend Action
All Challengers teams, with the exception of the Slowpitch Softball-Team, will be in action this coming weekend. While the NLA-Team will play two night games against the Barracudas at the Heerenschürli ballpark on Friday and Saturday evenings, the following games are also scheduled:
On Saturday, the Softball-Team will face the SG Sissach Frogs/Therwil Flyers for the second time this season. The Challengers won twice against the young team from Basel-Landschaft at the Klopstockwiese earlier in the season. Now the return games in Therwil are scheduled. The games will be played at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Känelmatt II.
The U15-Cadets have an even longer journey ahead. The Challengers will face the Geneva Dragons 2 in Bulle, canton of Fribourg, and will attempt to secure their first win of the season. The games start at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Stade de Bouleyres in Bulle.
On Sunday, the NLB-Team will also be able to play for the first time in the renovated Heerenschürli ballpark. The Challengers will host the Zurich Lions in a small city derby. The Lions, second in the league, await coach Tate Stone-Frisina’s team. First pitch is at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
The youngest Challengers will also play two more games on Sunday. They welcome the Lucerne Eagles and the Bern Cardinals to their home field, Klopstockwiese. Game times are 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Eagles and Challengers Softball-Teams with one W each
Following the baseball team’s double header on Saturday, the softball team also played in Lucerne on Sunday. And the women’s team also ended up splitting. While the Challengers increased their pace in the first game and secured a comfortable 26-14 victory, they were ineffective offensively in Game 2, ultimately losing 1-8.
It began as a wild game. Numerous hits, numerous walks, and numerous errors made the officials, especially the scorer, sweat. The Eagles managed to claw back the deficits they had incurred until the game was tied at 12-12 after three innings. But they were unable to respond the Challengers’ 14-12 lead in the fourth inning. Meanwhile the Challengers kept their foot on the gas until the very end, taking the opener 26-14.
Carmen Lutz-Demetz had three of the 17 hits. She also totaled five RBI. Taylor McCants and Simona Cellar also had three hits and two RBI each, Alexia Zingg added two hits and three RBI, and Anouchka Michel had one hit and three RBI. Leandra Simitivic was credited with the win, as she gave up two runs in 4.2 innings as a reliever, allowing four hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
The second game lasted exactly half as long as the morning’s matchup. The main reason was that the Challengers couldn’t find a way to counter the pitching of Eagles pitcher Rio Sanchez. Meanwhile the home team scored one or two runs in each inning, so Sanchez’s two-run home run in the fifth inning to make it 8-1 set the deal. Lara Müller drove in the Challengers’ only run in the second inning, making it 1-1.
Lucerne Weekend
For the Challengers, Lucerne is the focus of Ascension Day weekend. Both the baseball and softball teams will play a doubleheader in Reussbühl against the Lucerne Eagles.
For once, it’s gentlemen first. The NLA-Team will face the Eagles on Saturday. The Central Swiss team is one of the three teams that have returned to the NLA this season due to the change in format. And the Eagles have been quite successful so far, winning three of their six games so far. So the Challengers have been warned. First pitch is at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in Hinterruopigen.
The Softball-Team will face the Eagles on Sunday. The two teams are neighbors in the standings, with the Central Swiss women fighting for the playoff qualification, while the Challengers aim to stay close to the top of the standings. Games begin at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Reussbühl Hinterruopigen.
The Challengers’ newly formed Slowpitch Softball-Team will celebrate its debut on Sunday. It will play its first gameday in Bulle, where they will face the Geneva Colliders, the Swiss Toros, the Sierre Beavers, and the Therwil Flyers in a one-day tournament.
Softball-Team with split against the Swiss Champion
The first softball derby of the season at the Klopstockwiese ended in a split. The Challengers won the first game of the day 10-3. The defending champions Zurich Barracudas responded with a 10-1 victory in Game 2.
The Challengers had a good start into the new season. After four consecutive wins they suffered their first setback a week ago with two losses in Wittenbach against the Panthers. It was exciting to see how they would react against the reigning Swiss champions. And it was the Challengers who set the pace. In the first inning, they benefited from errors in the Barracudas’ defense to take a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile the Challengers’ defense put in a nearly flawless performance. Janina Liechti, a picther on loan from the Wittenbach Panthers for today’s game, had a brilliant day. The 15-year-old allowed only four hits and three runs with six walks and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings and was credited with the win. The Challengers offense also made a decisive impact. In the fourth inning, Tamara Ammeter made it 4-1 with a bunt single, before Carmen Lutz-Demetz, Isabelle Tan, and Karen Hendren pushed the score to 8-1 with three consecutive doubles. A sac bunt by Simone Zurschmitten and an RBI single by Janina Liechti completed the inning and decided the game.
The Barracudas, however, seemed to have learned their lesson for the afternoon game. The Swiss champions took a 5-0 lead in the first inning with doubles by Mariah Jameyson, Amy Mathis, and Chiara Perisset. The home team had used up all their energy in the first game. The Challengers managed just one run, thanks to an RBI single by Leandra Simitovic, and a total of six hits and eventually lost 1-10.
But overall, the Challengers could be satisfied with the gameday, having split against the defending champions.
Challengers in Action
Next Saturday three teams from the Challengers organization will be in action. A Cadets doubleheader follows on Sunday.
The first Zurich derby of the season will take place on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Klopstockwiese, when the Challengers Softball-Team will face the defending champions, the Zurich Barracudas. After the losses in Wittenbach, it will be interesting to see how the Challengers fare against the reigning champions.
The NLB-Team will play its home game on Saturday in Embrach. It’s one last time this season that they’ll be “off the grid”; the home field Heerenschürli should be ready to play again in June after the new back stop is completed. The C’s will face the Embrach Mustangs, who are looking for their first win of the season. Games begin at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at Embrach PZ Hard.
The U12-Juveniles will also be in action on Saturday. The youngest Challengers travel to Wil, where they will meet the Wil Devils and the Therwil Flyers. Games will be played at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Lindenhof.
The U15-Cadets round out the busy schedule on Sunday in Embrach with a doubleheader against the Wil Pirates. Games will be start at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.