The Challengers needed to win both games against their city rivals, the Zurich Lions, to keep their hopes of advancing to the Master Round alive.

Playing at their home ballpark Heerenschürli the Challengers were determined to secure the two victories. After the Lions opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, the Challengers responded strongly with four runs in the second. The Challengers steadily extended their lead throughout the game, ultimately fulfilling their obligation with an 11-5 win. Säntis Zeller and Leonel Hernandez Reyes each had three hits, Carsten Zuber had two hits and three RBIs, and Simon Steffen scored a triple and three runs. Pitcher Ari Lonstein secured the win in his season debut. He allowed four hits, four runs (only two earned), and four walks in five innings, striking out ten. Jasper Freigang secured the save with two hits, one run, five walks, and two strikeouts in four innings.

The second game also started well for the Challengers. After the Lions took a 1-0 lead, hits by David Castillo, Fabrizio Bucher, and Leonel Hernandez Reyes initially tied the game. However, the visitors missed their chance to take the lead due to baserunning errors. They made up for it in the fourth inning when Carsten Zuber and Säntis Zeller scored to make it 3-1. But suddenly, the game took a different turn. Having managed just one hit in the first three innings, the Lions’ offense now exploded. In the next two innings, they racked up eight hits — including home runs by Pedro Lopez Suriel and Pedro Mateo Benitez — and nine runs. But the Challengers didn’t give up. In the sixth inning, they cut the deficit to 6-10, and in the last minutes, two-run doubles by Fabrizio Bucher and Shadir Mora Soler tied the game at 10-10.

So the game went to extra innings. The eighth inning saw no runs, but in the ninth, the Challengers scored three runs. Their chances of winning now seemed good. Although the Lions scored one run to make it 11-13, the visitors recorded two quick outs. And the Challengers needed just one more strike for the win — until the Lions hit a two-run double to tie the game again. So a tenth inning was needed. While the Challengers couldn’t score, the Lions scored the decisive run on a wild pitch for a walk-off victory.

This means the Challengers will need a minor miracle to still be in contention for the playoffs in June.