Am Samstag, 2. Juni steigt im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli der erste Derbytag der laufenden Baseballmeisterschaft. Die Challengers und die Barracudas tragen gleich drei Partien gegeneinander aus. Zuerst spielen die beiden zweiten Mannschaften einen Doubleheader in der NLB-Meisterschaft. Die Spiele beginnen um 10.00 und 13.00 Uhr.
Um 18.00 Uhr laufen die beiden NLA-Teams im Heerenschürli auf. Das erste Derby der Saison ist gleichzeitig ein Kampf um den vierten Rang, wobei die Barracudas in der Tabelle eineinhalb Spiele in Vorsprung liegen. In der letzten Saison gewannen die Barracudas allerdings drei von vier Partien.
Das Softball-Team reist am Samstag, 2. Juni nach Luzern, wo es auf den amtierenden Meister Luzern Eagles trifft. Die Challengers gewannen zum Saisonauftakt gleich beide Partien, konnten seither aber nur zwei Siege hinzufügen. Die Spiele beginnen um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr in Reussbühl Hinterruopigen.
Das zweite Softball-Team der Organisation, die SG Eagles/Challengers, empfangen am Sonntag, 3. Juni den Tabellenführer Therwil Flyers auf der Klopstockwiese. Die Spiele finden um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr statt.
Die U12-Juveniles treffen am Samstag, 2. Juni auf die Hünenberg Unicorns, um die ausgefallenen Spiele vom 12. Mai nachzuholen. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr in Dulliken Sportplatz Untere Ey.
Derbytag am Samstag
Challengers best Lions
The Zurich Challengers extended their winning streak to three games, as they beat the Zurich Lions on Thursday, May 24 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. After an early rain delay the C’s worked the switches, as they scored three runs in the third and added another two runs in the fourth frame to make it 6-0. And the C’s selt the deal, scoring ten times in the fifth inning to eventually win 17-0.
Andrea Girasole (2-2) and Tobias Siegrist combined for a shutout victory, while Robert Sedin drove in three runs with two doubles and every Challengers starter scored a run. The Challengers are now in fifth place with a 3-4 record. They will face the Zurich Barracudas on June 2 and June 6 in night games at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Drei Challengers im Nati-Kader
Die Challengers Spieler Andrea Girasole, Tobias Siegrist und Säntis Zeller wurden von Headcoach Andy Fleischacker ins 21-köpfige Kader des Schweizer Nationalteams für das Finkstonball Turnier im österreichischen Attnang-Puchheim berufen, welches vom 26. bis 28. Mai stattfindet.
Weiterlesen » Drei Challengers im Nati-KaderLadies with two tough losses
The Softball-Team lost twice against their cross-town rivals Barracudas on Sunday, May 20 in two hard fought battles that lasted more than two hours each. In Game 1 the Challengers’ rally came too late, as the Barracudas recorded the last two outs with the bases loaded to hold on to a 9-7 victory. In Game 2 the Challengers were one strike away from the victory twice, but the Barracudas erased a 3-6 deficit in the seventh inning before erupting for seven runs in the extra inning for a dramatic 13-7 win. With this two tough losses the C’s drop to a 4-4 record.
Weiterlesen » Ladies with two tough lossesU12-Juveniles open season with two wins
The U12-Juveniles finally opened their season as well, after their first gameday of the year has been rained out. The SG TruckStar/Challengers swept the Therwil Flyers on Sunday, May 20. The SG TruckStar/Challengers posted a 7-0 shutout victory in Game 1 and added a 9-7 win in Game 2.
Weiterlesen » U12-Juveniles open season with two winsJuveniles sweep Therwil
In the first double header of the season, the Juveniles swept the Therwil Flyers with a 7-0 win in the first game and a 9-7 win in the nightcap.
In game 1, the Challengers/TruckStar started slow as they worked out the rust from a long winter. Only 1 run was scored in the first 3 innings as lead off hitter Jake Tuckner singled and worked quickly around the bases scoring on a passed ball. In the fourth inning the Challengers/TruckStar added 2 more as Will Ciemny and Marc Tsukroff both scored. The big inning was the final one as Tuckner singled, and Nolan Thommen walked to put two runners in place. Then Ciemny delivered an RBI singled followed by a 2 RBI triple from Tsukroff. Tsukroff then finished up the scoring on a fielder’s choice hit by Tobias Bonger.
Jayfry Meier had a big day in his Challenger debut going 2 for 3 with a double and a triple. Julian Thomet started at pitcher and got the win and Jake Tuckner finished it off with 3 strong innings in relief.
In the second game the Challengers bats exploded right from the start with 4 runs in the first inning, 3 in the second and one each in the third and fourth innings. Tuckner was 2 for 3 with a double that nearly cleared the fence and scored 3 runs. Ciemny also hit big going 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and scored 2 runs. Tsukroff ripped 2 doubles which bounced over the fence and both knocked in runs, he also scored one run. Felix Paesler from the Truckstar also had a double and scored a run.
Julian Thomet and Manabu Rohr combined for 4 nearly flawless innings of pitching giving up only 1 hit and one walk.
The Flyers made a game of it in the final inning as they put together 7 runs but in the end the effort fell short as Ciemny caught a line drive at first to end the game.
Congratulations to the Challenger/Truckstar on their opening weekend win.
U15-Cadets with loss and win
The U15-Cadets played their second gameday of the year on Saturday, May 19 at Wittenbach. In Game 1 the Challengers faced the Wittenbach Vikings, who handed the C’s their first loss of the season, as the Vikings edged the Challengers 9-7. The C’s answered with a confident win in Game 2, as the team of Todd Tuckner and Eric Haynor posted a 16-3 victory over the Black Hawks.
Weiterlesen » U15-Cadets with loss and winNLB-Team sweeps Swiss U18 Nationalteam
The NLB-Team won twice against the Swiss U18 Nationalteam on Saturday, May 19 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The Challengers posted a 10-7 win in Game 1 and added an easy 25-5 victory in Game 2. The C’s move into second place with a 3-1 record.
Weiterlesen » NLB-Team sweeps Swiss U18 NationalteamSoftball-Team wins twice against SG EAG/CHA
The Softball-Team faced the SG Eagles/Challengers on Saturday, May 19 at the Klopstockwiese, in what was a matchup in familiar atmosphere, as in both teams players from the Challengers lined up. The SG Eagles/Challengers opened the score in both games, but the Challengers managed to accelerate after starting slow twice to eventually win 15-1 and 21-6.
The SG EAG/CHA scored first in Game 1, as Irene Späni drove in Cindy Sullivan to make it 1-0 in the first inning. The Challengers answered in the second frame. After a pair of walks and hit-by-pitches Valentina Verdesca, Taylor Mc Cants and Ziegylou Wehrli delivered run-scoring singles to make it 7-1. After Jennifer Probst drove in Sandrine Montandon, Leandra Simitovic had a base-clearing hit to make it 11-1 in the third.
Probst, Mc Cants, Wehrli and Verdesca had a pair of hits each, while Simitovic allowed one run, two hits and four walks while striking out five in four innings of work.
The SG EAG/CHA started even better in Game 2, as Valentina Verdesca belted a three-run double and Fabienne Baumgartner added a two-run triple to make it 6-0 in the top of the second inning. But again the Challengers turned it around, scoring 21 unanswered runs on eight hits and 15 walks.
Leandra Simitovic, Taylor Mc Cants and Andrea Wirth had two hits each, while Jennifer Probst, Izumi Nitta, Mc Cants and Wirth scored three runs each.
Taylor Mc Cants gave up six runs and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts for her first win of the season.
Cadets split a double header in Wittenbach
On Saturday 19 May, the Challenger cadets lost a close game to the Wittenbach Vikings by a score of 9-7 but came back strong against the Black Hawks with a 16-3 win.
In the opening game Jake Namovich started the scoring with a walk and then working his way around the bases to score on a passed ball. In the top of the third the Vikings had a big 4 run inning including a 3 run homer by Lengwiler. However, the Challengers came right back in the bottom of the third with a two run homer off the bat of Ryan Ciemny. In the fourth inning the Vikings added two more runs off some costly fielding errors. Once again in the bottom of the fourth the big bat of Ryan Ciemny ripped a 2 RBI double scoring Sebastian Bonger and Marcel Zuberbühler. In the final inning the Vikings put up three more runs making the score 9-5. Unfortunately the Challengers could only muster two runs in the final stanza with both Namovich and Seb Bonger scoring before the Viking defense shut down our bats.
Ryan Ciemny pitched 3 strong innings and the game was closed out by Jake Namovich.
In the second game of the day the Challengers jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back against the Black Hawks. Jake Tuckner scored 3 runs, Will Ciemny scored 2 runs, and Ryan Ciemny had another monster game going 2 for 3 with a double, 2 RBI’s and scoring 3 runs. Tobias Haynor got on base 4 times and scored all 4 with some efficient base running. Marc Tsukroff was 2 for 3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Alex Homburg also got a single and scored and Marcel Zuberbühler scored after walking to get on base.
Namovich and Tsukroff each pitched two very strong innings and Seb Bonger finished the game on the mound, closing out the final inning by facing only 4 batters.
Overall a good weekend for the Challengers. Next doubleheader is 10 June.