Challengers against Dornbirn without a chance

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

After the Challengers’ first victory in the tournament against the representative from Ukraine, there was nothing to do for them against the Dornbirn Indians. The Challengers have been defeated by 16-1.
The highlight from the Challenger’s point of view came in the first inning. Leonel Sosa Marte opened the score with a solo home run. However, this remained the only positive note of the game for the Swiss runner-up. Dornbirn immediately countered with five runs. After two innings it was 1-11, after five innings the game was over due to the mercy rule. The Challengers still have one game left. The last opponent is Rättvik BSK from Sweden on Friday morning at 10.00 a.m.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:

 
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
 
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
 
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers 2-5
 
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians 1-16 (5 Inn.)
 
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final

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Challengers arrive in win column

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

After two losses on Monday and Tuesday, the Challengers brought home their first win in the third game of the tournament. They beat the Ukrainian team CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn 5-2.
However it did not start promisingly. The first three batters of the Ukrainians reached with three hits and scored two runs, but the Zurich team threw the anchor in time, came out of the inning and, for their part, didn’t waste any time to get on the scoreboard as well. A 2-run triple from Adam Greenberg quickly evened the game and Regis Reinhard even put his colors ahead with an RBI double. In the third inning, the Challengers extended their lead to three runs. Again Adam Greenberg was involved with an RBI double. This was already enough, because pitcher James Sanders, already batting leader of the tournament, also showed an outstanding performance on the mound. He only allowed seven hits and two runs with no walks and six strikeouts in a complete game. The next opponents on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. are the Dornbirn Indians, who are still undefeated.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:

 
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
 
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
 
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers 2-5
 
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
 
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final

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Challengers lead after five, still lose

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

The Challengers lead the Deurne Spartans for five innings, but the Belgians eventually prevail 7-2. Leonel Sosa Marte started the game with an RBI groundout in the first inning. After that the two teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard inning after the otherfor the next four innings. But then the C’s committed a costly error with two outs, what the Belgians used to score three runs out of nowhere. In the seventh frame the Spartans added four more runs, while the Zurich team only scored one more run thanks to an RBI single from Säntis Zeller, making their second defeat in the tournament a fact. The next opponents are CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn from Ukraine on Wednesday at 1.30 p.m.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:

 
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
 
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
 
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
 
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final

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Challengers lose Opener

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

After a turbulent journey including a car breakdown, the Challengers faced the home team of Apollo Bratislava at the Federations Cup in Bratislava on Monday. The Zurich team fell behind in the first inning 0-3 and couldn’t catch up until the end. Hayden Jung-Goldberg brought the hope back for his colors in the sixth inning with a 2-run double, but they couldn’t get closer than two runs. Although the C’s had an advantage over the home team with 9-7 hits, in the end they lost 3-7. Strong performance by leadoff batter James Sanders, who delivered four hits. Leonel Sosa Marte had two hits and scored two runs. The next opponents on Tuesday at 1.30 p.m. are the Deurne Spartans from Belgium.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:

 
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
 
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
 
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
 
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final

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Challengers at the Federation Cup in Bratislava

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

The Challengers are taking part in the Federations Cup in Bratislava this week. The tournament starts on Monday June 19th and ends on Saturday June 24th. Opponents of the Challengers are CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn from Ukraine, Deurne Spartans from Belgium, Dornbirn Indians from Austria, Rättvik BSK from Sweden and host Apollo Bratislava from Slovakia.
The Challengers will play the evening game against the home team from Bratislava on Monday after the official opening ceremony. All the games will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:

Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final

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Two wins for the Softball-Team

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

The Softball-Team defeats the Sissach Frogs twice. The two teams offer the audience two exciting games with a lot of successful actions both on the offensive and on the defensive.
Young players Sarah Kleiterp and Alexandra Weibel made their debut in the Swiss Softball League under the watchful eye of Challenger’s honorary president Werner Zingg. And the two did extremely well. This also applied to the other Challengers players. Amanda Marxer pitched a career-best three innings and allowed just five hits and four runs, three earned, Tamara Ammeter got her third win of the season with a scoreless inning, and on the offense Isabelle Tan had three hits and scored three runs and Molly Mullens had three Hits and three RBIs, while Mia Matas’ added two doubles, two RBIs and two runs to make it 12-4 in the end.
The second game of the day was extremely exciting. The guests from the Basel area were ahead and the Challengers behind for almost the entire game with the home team constantly under pressure. It took six innings before the C’s turned the game around with six runs. In the end it was a narrow 19-16 victory against a self-sacrificing Frogs. Mia Matas had a dream day with three hits and no fewer than eight RBI. Tamara Ammeter contributed two hits, three RBI and four runs, Isabelle Tan contributed one hit, four walks and five runs and rookie Sarah Kleiterp notched her first two hits of the career. Taylor McCants was credited with the win, as she allowed seven hits and four runs – two of them earned – in four innings without a walk and with three strikeouts.

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NLB-Team defeated twice with more than ten runs

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Saturday was a used day for the NLB-Team. Against the Embrach Mustangs, it once again suffered two high defeats. However the results hide the fact that some things were good on the part of the Challengers as well.
At the beginning everything looked good. After two innings the score was even at 1-1. But then the Challengers lost the thread. The Mustangs scored at least four runs in each subsequent inning and in the fourth frame they even scored eleven runs. However the home team helped a lot. Seven errors, three hit-by-pitches and nine walks were added to the 17 hits of the Zürcher Unterländer, resulting in a huge 24-7 loss in the end.
The Challengers lost Game 2 by a score of 20-8 again. But the story behind the numbers was different than in game 1. The guests from Embrach scored six runs in the first inning. The Challengers had to fear the worst, but the Heerenschürli team fought back into the game. In the third inning, the Challengers reconnected to a 6-7 thanks to an RBI groundout from Joseph Stotz, an RBI double from Florin Kampfer, an RBI single from Denyo Benz and a 2-run double from David Morroni. In the fourth inning, the Mustangs added two runs again, but the Challengers had the opportunity to turn the game around entirely. They managed to load the bases with one out, but they could only cash in two runs with a steal on home by Joseph Stotz and a bases loaded walk by Alex Gordon. It wasn’t enough for more than the 8-9. And suddenly the thread broke again. The Mustangs scored 11 unanswered runs in the remaining innings. Despite ultimately 14-10 hits in favor of the Challengers, it was a big loss. But with nine errors the C’s also stood in their own way.

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Cadets beat Unicorns twice

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The U15 Cadets won twice against the Hünenberg Unicorns in Embrach on Saturday. While the first game was a true thriller, game two had only one direction.
In the first game the guests from Central Switzerland got off to a better start. They took a 5-0 lead in the first two innings. The Challengers also clocked in with a little delay and subsequently ensured an exciting course of the game. Philip Louis brought home the first Challengers run in the bottom half of the second inning, scored the second run and turned the game around with a three-run in-the-park home run in the third inning to make it 6-5. Jordi Bucher answered the Unicorns’ equalization in the fourth inning with the go-ahead run and with an RBI double, Fabrizio Bucher brought Noam Müller home to make it 8-6. After that the Unicorns were only able to reduce the lead to 7-8, but couldn’t equalize anymore. Noam Müller got the win, Philip Louis the save.
In the second game the Challengers were in control from the start. After two innings, the scoreboard showed the maximum possible margin of 10-0 according to the rules. In the end the Challengers won 14-2. Philip Louis again led the way with three hits and three runs, while Jasper Freigang and Fabrice Cadalbert each contributed two hits and two RBIs to the win.

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Challengers win local derby

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

The Challengers turn Friday night’s local derby from out of nowhere and win 12-3 against the Zurich Barracudas. So the Challengers travel to the European Federations Cup in Slovakia with a good feeling.
In the first three innings, Livio Bundi’s first-inning solo home run was the only exclamation mark. While the Barracudas added two more runs for a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning, the Challengers managed just one hit in the first half of the game. Seen in this way, the turning point came almost out of nowhere. Patrick Maier opened the sixth inning with a single and launched the big turn. The Zurich team sent no fewer than 16 batters to the plate. Eleven of them scored a run, eight hits, including two doubles by Regis Reinhard and Nick Siemers, mainly made up for it.
With that the game was decided. Even more so while the Challengers pitchers Simon Steffen, who got his third win, and Stefan Haltmeier, who got his third save of the season, pitched very strong.
The Challengers are now packing their baseball bags. They will play from at the European Federation Cup in Bratislava (Slovakia), that will take place from Monday till Saturday next week. A derby victory in your luggage is the best motivation for this.

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Three wins on the same day

Serge KünzlerLeave a comment

The Challengers have seen a lot in their more than 40-year history. But three victories for the NLA-Team in one day should also be a new experience for them.
Because before the scheduled double header against the Wil Pirates could take place, a game that had been interrupted in April due to rain in the bottom half of the last inning with one out had to be played to completion. The Challengers took a 14-10 lead into the short final sprint. Pitcher Marco Limacher made short work of it and made the two outs needed to secure the win as quickly as possible.
And the native of Lucerne stayed in the lead role. With an outstanding seven innings, in which he gave up just five hits and an unearned run with four walks and a strikeout, he made his mark on the first game of the doubleheader. The three runs that his offense had put forward in innings two to four were enough for the Challengers to win the game 4-1. Nationalteam player Hayden Jung-Goldberg scored two hits on his debut for the Challengers.
In the last game of the day, the Challengers picked up their third win with a result of 10-5. With six hits and the support of two errors by the Pirates, the Zurich team scored eight runs in the fourth inning, which ultimately decided the game. Säntis Zeller and again Hayden Jung-Goldberg led the offense with two hits each, while Stefan Haltmeier allowed five hits and two runs in four innings for his first win of the season.

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