The U15-Cadets travelled to Geneva on Saturday, June 22 to face the Geneva Baseball Team and the Thun Hunters. As one week before the SG TruckStar/Challengers were given the win despite losing the game on the field, as Geneva again had no Swiss pitcher in its line-up. On the field the SG was able to keep pace with Geneva for one inning only, before the host put things out of reach for a final score of 23-5. In Game 2 the Thun Hunters posted a 12-3 victory over the SG TruckStar/Challengers.
The SG TruckStar/Challengers finished the preeliminary round in fourth place in the Western Division with a 4-6 record. The SG will face the SG Rainbows/Lions/Bandits in a two-game series for seventh place on September 15.
Cadets end Round Robin
C’s edge Eagles twice
The Challengers added two wins against the Luzern Eagles on Sunday, June 23 at the Heerenschürli. But the C's had to fight till the very end, to secure the wins, as they posted a 4-3 victory in 12 innings in Game 1, followed by a 3-2 success in Game 2.
The C's are now in third place with a 10-3 record. The Challengers will play a two-game series with the Zürich Lions on Wednesday and Thursday night at the Heerenschürli. Both games start at 7pm.
Ladies lose local derby
The Softball-Team lost twice against their cross-town rivals Zürich Barracudas on Sunday, June 23 at Rümlang to open a three-game series. The Barracudas celebrated an 11-0 shutout victory in Game 1, before winning Game 2 3-1.
The Challengers remain in fourth place with a 3-9 record. Game 3 of the series will be played on Tuesday night at 7pm at Rümlang.
Softball derby rained out
For the first time this year the heavy rain and bolts were very welcome to the Challengers Softball-Team. The night game between the Challengers and the Barracudas had to be called with no outs in the bottom of the third inning after 1 hour and 52 minutes including two rain delays.
Before that a thunderstorm was already raging over the C's, as the Barracudas were leading 19-8, as crew chief Martin Ruckstuhl called the game. Giulia Oswald belted a grand slam and Morgan Suart followed with a three-run homer in a 13-run second inning for the Barracudas. Taylor Mc Cants delivered a two-run double for the Challengers, while Jennifer Montague had a RBI-triple and Ziegylou Wehrli got a double, as the C's answered with a 7-run inning of their own. Eventually Mother Nature had other ideas.
Thursday, June 27 has already been annouced as the make-up date. First the two local rivals will play a three game series at Rümlang from June 23 till 25 with a double header on Sunday and a night game on Tuesday.
Softball Night Game am Donnerstag
Das Softball-Team empfängt den Stadtrivalen Zürich Barracudas am Donnerstag, 20. Juni um 19.00 Uhr zum ersten Night Game der Saison auf der Klopstockwiese. Es ist das erste von vier Derbys innert Wochenfrist. Vom 23. bis 25. Juni treffen sich die beiden Teams zu einer three-game Serie in Rümlang.
Challengers gegen Eagles
Das NLA-Team heisst die Luzern Eagles am Sonntag, 23. Juni im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli willkommen. Die Eagles sind eines von lediglich zwei Teams, die in der bisherigen Saison gegen die Challengers gewinnen konnten. Jedoch war ihr 4-2 Erfolg am 4. Mai der bislang einzige Sieg der Innerschweizer in der laufenden Saison. Die andere Partie vor sechs Wochen war mit 14-2 eine klare Beute für die Zürcher. Weil die ersten fünf Teams in der Tabelle nahe beisammen liegen, benötigen die Challengers einen Doppelerfolg, um auf einem Playoffplatz zu bleiben. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 14.00 Uhr.
Das Softball-Team eröffnet am Sonntag um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr eine three-game Serie in Rümlang gegen die Zürich Barracudas. Das dritte Spiel der S-Bahn Serie zwischen den Stadtrivalen wird am Dienstag, 25. Juni um 18.30 Uhr als Night Game in Rümlang Rümelbach ausgetragen. Die Barracudas erleben ihren besten Saisonstart in den letzten zehn Jahren mit sechs Siegen aus acht Spielen, während die Challengers den vierten Rang belegen. Seit 2004 haben die Challengers 15 von 23 Duellen gewonnen, verloren aber alle vier Partien im vergangenen Jahr.
Junioren ziehen westwärts
Die U15-Cadets ziehen westwärts. Die SG TruckStar/Challengers trifft bei ihrem Gastspiel in Genf auf das Team von Geneva Baseball sowie auf die Thun Hunters. Die Spiele finden um 10.00 und 12.30 Uhr im Centre sportif de Vessy statt.
Die U12-Juveniles reisen nach Bern, wo sie am Sonntag, 23. Juni auf die SG Cardinals/Frogs/Hunters und die Hünenberg Unicorns treffen. Nachdem die SG TruckStar/Challengers zweimal die Therwil Flyers besiegen konnte, werden die Juveniles versuchen einem der beiden Teams ein Bein zu stellen, gegen welche sie bislang noch nicht erfolgreich waren. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr auf der Berner Allmend.
Challengers split with Mustangs
The Challengers finally came through against Roger Savoldelli and the Enbarch Mustangs to walk away at least with a split on Sunday, June 16. The C's posted a long awaited 4-1 win in Game 1, as starter Andrea Girasole tossed 8.1 magnificient innings, allowing one unearned run and five hits with two walks, while also striking out five and Thomas Burger recorded the final two outs for his first save of the season.
The Mustangs bounced back with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 to keep pace with the C's in the standings. Mustangs starter Timothy Jones carried a shutout into the ninth inning, before Harry Bregy delivered a two-run double with two outs to make it 2-5. Despite the win the C's dropped into fourth place with a 8-3 record, because the Zürich Barracudas swept the Luzern Eagles on Sunday to improve to 12-4.
Flyers defense keeps Ladies’ bats down
The Softball-Team lost twice against a strong Therwil team on Sunday, June 16 at the Klopstockwiese. The Challengers opened the score with two runs in the bottom of the first inning of Game 1, but the Flyers scored nine unanswered runs, as starter Adeline Glauser pitched in and out of trouble several times en route for a 9-2 win for the Flyers. The C's battled for over two hours, but weren't able to cash in the runs they needed. Leandra Simitovic, Macy Morgan and Simona Cellar had two hits apiece for the Challengers, while Lena Gfeller went a perfect 4-for-4 for the Flyers.
Game 2 was all Flyers, as they jumped on starter Karen Heimgartner for five runs in the first inning and held on for an easy 11-1 victory. Simona Cellar and Sandrine Montandon delivered two hits each, while Macy Morgan allowed two runs and five hits in three innings of relief.
The Challengers remain in fourth place with a 3-7 record. The C's will face the Zürich Barracudas for a night game on Thursday, June 20 at 6.30pm at the Klopstockwiese.