Ladies split with Cardinals

The Softball-Team remained in third place after earning a split against the Bern Cardinals on Saturday, August 7.
The Challengers scored nine runs in the first inning and held on for a wild 24-14 victory over the Cards in Game 1. The C’s started the scoring thanks to three walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches before Andrea Wirth and Brigit Zuber delivered back-to-back RBI-singles.
The Cards cut the deficit to five runs, but the C’s extended the lead to seven runs, as Alexia Zingg belted an RBI-triple to deep center field. Both teams scored several more runs over the next frames, before the C’s pulled away with eight runs in the sixth inning to seal the deal.
Andrea Wirth drove in a game-high four runs and crossed the plate three time and Celine Welti scored four runs for the Challengers, while Brigit Zuber, Leandra Simitovic, Ziegylou Wehrli and Nadja Critelli scored three runs apiece.
Leandra Simitovic was credited with her fourth win of the season, as she allowed 14 runs and 13 hits over six innings.
In Game 2 the Cardinals cruised to a 10-1 win, as Jennifer Ellenbeck delivered a three-run homer in the first inning. And Ellenbeck added a two-run double in the fourth to put things out of reach.
The Challengers opened the score in the top of the first inning, as Leandra Simitovic scored on a passed ball. But Ellenbeck slammed the door from there, completing four innings of one-hit ball, walking one.
Challengers starter Simona Cellar went the distance, as she allowed ten runs – two of them unearned – and seven hits over five innings, while Ziegylou Wehrli had the only Challengers hit of the game.

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Night Game am Dienstag

Die Challengers verlieren das allererste Abendspiel in der Geschichte des Schweizerischen Baseballverbandes mit 4-3 in Extra Innings gegen die Barracudas. Eine anständige Zuschauerkulisse sah eine spannende Auseinandersetzung, die nach neun regulären Innings 3-3 stand. Dabei duellierten sich Tobias Siegrist und Andi Rüesch auf dem Mound über sieben Innings. Die Challengers begingen zu viele Errors in der Anfangsphase und mussten den Barracudas bereits im ersten Inning mit 2-0 davonziehen lassen. Die Challengers glichen das Spiel aber im fünften Inning aus, aber die Barracudas antworteten postwendend mit einem weiteren unearned Run in der zweiten Hälfte des fünften Innings zu einer 3-2 Führung. Brian Hipps glich aber das Spiel im achten Inning mit einem RBI-Single wieder aus, und Siegrist hielt die Barracudas in Schach. Aber im 10. Durchgang gab er zwei Walks und schliesslich Chris Bissig’s Game-Winning RBI-Single ab.

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NLB-Team splits with Barracudas too

One week after a split against the Zurich Lions the Challengers again earned a split this time against the first-placed Zurich Barracudas on Sunday, July 25 at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Yusuf Isik outdueled Oliver Christen, as the Barracudas edged the Challengers 5-4 in Game 1. The Barracudas opened the score in the first inning, but the C’s answered with two runs of their own in the second, as Oliver Christen and Willy Schaub crossed the plate to make it 2-1. The Challengers’ lead was short-lived, as Francisco Robles delivered a two-run single and the Barracudas added one more in the bottom half of the frame. And the Barracudas added another run in the fourth, as Mick Meier hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-5.
The C’s weren’t done yet, but Isik gave up only two single runs over the last three frames, as Mathew Stringer drove in Patrick Maier in the fifth and Adrian Kämpfer in the seventh inning, as the Barracudas held on for a 5-4 victory.
Isik went the distance, as he allowed four runs and seven hits, while Oliver Christen gave up five runs and seven hits, while also striking out three.
The Challengers collected a surprising win, as they rallied for three runs in the seventh to eventually beat the Barracudas 5-3 in Game 2. A close affair the entire way, the C’s got some great pitching from Patrick Maier, who tossed a three-hitter with seven strikeouts and only one walk.
The C’s broke a scoreless tie in the third inning, as Adrian Kämpfer drove in Maier with an RBI-double and they added another run, as Maier scored on a sacrifice fly from Yanik Probst in the fifth inning. The Barracudas turned the game around, as they scored three runs in the bottom half of the fifth, as a two-run double from Mick Meier made it 2-3. But the Challengers scored three unanswered runs in the top of the seventh frame, as again Maier drove in Probst with an RBI-double to tie the game at 3-3. After a hit-by-pitch to Kämpfer, Werner Zingg loaded the bases with a single to left field and one batter later the C’s took the lead again, as Micha Seger drove in Maier, while Oliver Christen drove in Kämpfer for a 5-3 lead.
The Challengers remain in sixth place with a 4-10 record, while the Barracudas (11-3) were passed by the Zurich Lions, who moved into first place with a 10-2 record.

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Stadtderby in der NLB

Das NLB-Team bestreitet am Sonntag, 25. Juli sein zweites aufeinander folgendes Stadtderby. Nachdem vor Wochenfrist gegen die Zürich Lions die Punkte geteilt wurden, treffen die Challengers diesmal auf den Tabellenführer Zürich Barracudas. Die Challengers unterlagen dem Stadtrivalen am 6. Juni zweimal. Nach einem 13-20 in Spiel 1 setzte es für die Blauroten in der zweiten Partie eine 1-3 Niederlage ab. Die Spiele beginnen um 10.00 und 13.00 Uhr im Stadion Heerenschürli.

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NLB-Team splits with Lions

The NLB-Team improved its record to 3-9 after a split with the second placed Zürich Lions on Sunday, July 18 at the Heereschürli ballpark.
Five runs in the top of the fifth inning and a flawless defense were all Oliver Christen and the Challengers needed, as they posted a surprising 6-4 victory in Game 1 over the Lions. Starter Oliver Christen tossed six plus strong innings, as he allowed four runs and four hits for his first win of the season and the defense threw out three baserunners and turned a crucial double play in the fourth inning.
The C’s opened the score in the first frame, as an RBI-single by Adrian Kämpfer plated Roger Burger to make it 1-0. Then the two teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard for the next three and a half innings.
The C’s started the fifth with a base-on-balls to Korey Kovac and back-to-back singles from Burger and Kämpfer to load the bases, before Willy Schaub drove in Kovac. Up 2-0, the C’s continued the inning with an RBI-single by Mathew Stringer and an RBI-double by Alex Gordon to make it 4-0. And the C’s added two more runs, as Kurt Kovac was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Gordon scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0.
The Lions scored two runs in the bottom half of the frame and added another run in the sixth to close the gap to three runs. After surrendering a lead-off walk in the seventh Christen handed the ball to closer Willy Schaub, who picked up his second save of the season.
The Lions bounced back in the second game of the day, as they built a six-run lead in the second inning and held on for a 14-8 win over the Challengers. Nevertheless the C’s moved into sixth place with the split. They will face the Zürich Barracudas for the next derby at the Heerenschürli ballpark on Sunday, July 25.

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Challengers split with Eagles

The Challengers won their seventh game in a row, as they cruised to a 13-2 victory in Game 1 against the Luzern Eagles on Sunday, July 18 at Reussbühl. But the Challengers saw their winning-streak halted, as the Eagles posted a 9-5 win in Game 2.
With the split the Challengers (11-7) remain one game ahead of the Zürich Barracudas and the Bern Cardinals, who are tied for fourth place with a 12-10 record.

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Challengers treffen auf Eagles

Die Challengers reisen nach Luzern, wo sie am Sonntag, 18. Juli auf die Luzern Eagles treffen. Die Challengers werden versuchen ihre seit sechs Spielen anhaltende Ungeschlagenheit zu bewahren und einen weiteren Schritt in Richtung Playoffqualifikation zu machen. Die Spiele beginnen um 11.00 und 14.00 Uhr in Reussbühl Hinterruopigen.

Das NLB-Team trifft am Sonntag, 18. Juli im Stadion Heerenschürli auf den Stadtrivalen Zürich Lions. Für die Challengers ist es der erste Ernstkampf seit dem 13. Juni, während die Lions versuchen werden, eine neue Siegesserie zu starten, nachdem sie ihre ersten sieben Saisonspiele gewinnen konnten. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 14.00 Uhr.

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Ladies climb over .500

The Softball-Team moved over .500 after sweeping the Geneva Jets on Saturday, July 10 at the Klopstockwiese. The two teams battled for 2 hours and 20 minutes in Game 1, as the Challengers exploded for a six-run fifth inning to beat the Jets 16-9.
The Jets grabbed an early 3-0 lead, as they delivered four hits in the first inning. And four more hits in the second made it 7-0 for the visitors. Then the Challengers’ bats heated up, as they erased the deficit to tie the game at 8-8 after four frames. But the Jets weren’t done yet, as they took the lead back in the top of the fifth, as Charissa Rajnoch crossed the plate to make it 9-8.
Brigit Zuber tied the game again in the bottom half of the inning for the C’s before Simona Cellar had an RBI-double for a 10-9 lead. In the end the C’s scored eight unanswered runs to seal the deal.
Simone Zurschmitten delivered two hits including a double and finished with two RBI and four runs scored, while Simona Cellar and Alexia Zingg posted a double and a single, three runs scored and an RBI and Leandra Simitovic and Ziegylou Wehrli drove in two runs apiece.
Leandra Simitovic allowed nine runs – six earned – and ten hits with six walks, while also striking out four for the win.
Karen Heimgartner and Simona Cellar combined for a one-hitter, while Leandra Simitovic drove in two runs, as the Challengers downed the Geneva Jets 8-0 in Game 2.
The C’s opened the score with two runs in the first inning and added four runs in the third frame on a bases-loaded walk to Zurschmitten, a two-run single by Simitovic and a run-scoring single from Wehrli to put things out of reach for the Jets.
Heimgartner scattered one hit while fanning five and walking one for her fifth win of the season.
With their seventh win in nine games the Challengers moved into third place with a 8-7 record.

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Challengers sweep Mustangs

The Challengers swept the red-hot Embrach Mustangs by taking both games of Saturday’s doubleheader.
In Game 1, Tobias Siegrist went the distance for his fourth win of the season, limiting the Mustangs to only seven hits in a 5-2 victory. He also went 4-for-4 at the plate with a game-high two runs scored.
In the second contest, Siegrist started again and lasted 5 1-3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits. The win came in the Challengers’ final at-bat as Jesus Martinez lifted a high fly ball to center field, which Harry Wischnewski lost in the sun, enabling Siegrist to score the winning run for a 5-4 win. Carlos Peña went 4-for-4 with two singles, a double and a triple, and Brian Hipps was credited with his first win of the season.

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