The first of two night games between the Zurich Barracudas and the Zurich Challengers was a clear victory for the Zurich Barracudas. After their 4-9 loss, the Challengers have a chance for revenge tomorrow, Saturday, when the next local derby takes place at 6:30 p.m. at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
The Barracudas, playing as the visiting team this evening, needed no warm-up. Three of their first four batters reached base with singles, and Nicholas Miceli and Camden Vasquez scored the first two runs in the first inning already. Even before the Challengers’ first hitter reached base, the Barracudas had already increased their lead to 4-0. Furthermore, their pitcher, Fabio Bundi, had a brilliant day. He gave up just two hits and recorded ten strikeouts in seven innings. When his workday ended, the scoreboard showed a score of 7-0. Only then did the Challengers clock in. After a hit by pitch to James Sanders and a walk by Simon Steffen, Carsten Zuber’s RBI single and Jordi Bucher’s RBI brought the home team on the scoreboard. And after RBIs from Regis Reinhard and Säntis Zeller made it 4-7, there was a brief glimmer of hope. But the Barracudas put the final touches on the event with two more runs in the ninth inning.
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Barracudas take first Nightgame
NLB-Team inherits playoff spot
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.
Two night games with local derby
The 2025 baseball season has another highlight in store. On Friday and Saturday night the Zurich Challengers and the Zurich Barracudas will face off in a two-game series at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Since only the top two teams after the intermediate round advance to the playoff finals, the Challengers, currently in third place, are under severe pressure to close the gap to the top pairing of the Barracudas and Therwil Flyers. However, the Challengers were decisively defeated by their cross-town rivals in both of their preliminary round games. The games begin at 6:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday the Challengers Softball-Team will host the Lucerne Eagles at the Klopstockwiese for a home game as well. While the Challengers are in third place and firmly on course for a playoff spot, the Central Swiss team is still locked in a long-distance battle with the Bern Cardinals for fourth place. Both teams won one game each of the doubleheader in Lucerne, promising an exciting matchup. Games begin at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Klopstockwiese in Zurich-Enge.
Challengers unlucky
The Challengers were unlucky on Saturday. They lost Game 1 to the Lucerne Eagles 5-7 and in the second game of the day, they blew an 8-3 lead just as the game was called off due to rain.
The Central Swiss team made it to the second round, somewhat surprisingly, at the expense of the Wil Pirates. On Saturday at the Heerenschürli they proved that this was well deserved. The visitors scored three runs in each of the first two innings and ultimately held on to their 6-2 lead. The Challengers scored two runs in the first inning after a bases-loaded walk by Leonel Sosa Marte and an RBI groundout by James Sanders. An RBI groundout by Florin Kämpfer made it 3-6 in the second inning, and they came within one run in the fifth. After a double by Kämpfer and a single by Säntis Zeller, the home team pulled within 5-6 with an RBI groundout by Ryan Byrne and a wild pitch. However, the Challengers were unable to score against relief pitcher Fernando Baez Aybar, resulting in a 5-7 loss. This realistically puts a spot in the playoff finals far out of reach.
Things fared better for the Zurich team in the afternoon game. They quickly took a 5-0 lead and maintained a comfortable 8-3 advantage going into the final inning. However, the Eagles managed to tie the game in the nick of time. Instead of allowing the Challengers to pursue a walk-off victory in the bottom half of the seventh inning, the heavens opened, forcing the game to be called without a score.
Challengers split with Flyers
The Challengers remain within striking distance of the top two teams in the Baseball NLA. After a decisive loss in the first game, the Zurich team responded strongly in the second, earning a deserved 10-5 split.
The Zurich team got off to a poor start. While the Flyers offense quickly got going, the visitors struggled to find their footing and delivered just three hits in total. That was by far not enough. The game ended early with a 12-0 win for the home team. After the break, the Challengers checked in as well. Led by pitcher Tate Stone-Frisina, who gave up just four hits and one run in five innings, with one walk and eleven strikeouts, the visitors took control early. Carlos Nepomuceno opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. The C’s made the decisive difference in the fourth inning. A single by Ryan Byrne made it 3-0, Carlos Nepomuceno followed with a two-run double, before James Sanders’ RBI double, Leonel Sosa Marte’s RBI single, and Noam Blickenstorfer’s RBI double gave Zurich an 8-0 lead.
Nepomuceno had three hits and four RBI, James Sanders also had three hits and two RBI, while Ryan Byrne, Säntis Zeller, and Leonel Sosa Marte each had two hits.
First placed Panthers too strong for Challengers
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.
Cadets swept by Kobras
The U15-Cadets played another local derby at the end of the preliminary round in Rümlang. The Challengers were unable to win either game against the Rümlang Kobras.
The first game was already fairly one-sided. The Challengers repeatedly failed to get out of the innings on defense, but were unable to generate enough offensive pressure, producing only four hits. The final result was a decisive 8-19 defeat. The lone highlight was Fabrizio Bucher’s grand slam in the fourth inning. The second game of the day was a similar story. The Kobras again cruised to an easy 13-2 victory.
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.
NLB-Team saves a Win
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.
Cadets with two Losses
The U15 Cadets faced the SG Pirates on Saturday in Hünenberg. The Challengers had nothing to gain against the Eastern Swiss team, losing both games decisively.
The first runs of the day went to the Zurich team. Fabrizio Bucher and Len Blickenstorfer delibvered RBI singles to make it 2-0. But after just two innings, the Blues were already trailing 2-7. The final score was 6-14. Although the Zurich team managed eight hits on offense, they had nothing to gain. On the one hand, they struggled with the Pirates’ aggressive baserunning, but on the other, the Pirates didn’t leave a single run on the bases, thus making the most of their opportunities. Fabrizio Bucher and Olin Davison each had two hits for the Challengers.
Game 2 also got off to a good start for the Challengers. Although the SG Pirates initially took a 3-0 lead, the Challengers responded with five runs. Fabrizio Bucher cut the score to 2-3 with a home run, Len Blickenstorfer and Moor Müller followed with RBI singles, and after an error, the score was 5-3 for the Zurich team. The Eastern Swiss team, however, was undeterred. They kept up the pace while the Challengers had largely used up their energy. Thus, the second game was also a decisive affair, with a 20-7 victory for the Pirates. Fabrizio Bucher went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs, while Moor Müller had two hits and two RBI.