30. Generalversammlung

Am Sonntag, 13. Dezember fand im Restaurant Linde Oberstrass in Zrich die 30 ordentliche Generalversammlung des Challengers Baseball & Softball Clubs statt. Neu in den Vorstand wurden Thomas Blank, Tobias Siegrist und Ueli von Burg gewaehlt, welche die zurckgetretenen Peter Rothenhaeusler und Chris Merlini ersetzen, welche die letzten beiden Jahre im Vorstand mitwirkten. Praesident Renato Staub sowie der weitere bisherige Vorstand wurden fuer ein weiteres Jahr im Amt bestaetigt. Die Auszeichnung als “Most Valuable Player” ihrer jeweiligen Teams erhielten Tobias Siegrist, Leandra Simitovic und Yanik Probst.

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New stadium

Construction on the new Heerenschürli has been progressing as planned, and the new field will be ready by next season. The gras has been laid out, the lights and scoreboard are installed and the dugouts are ready. The stadium has a seating capacity of 400, plus standing room for 1’000 more around the outfield.
You can follow the progress by checking regularly Urs Köstinger’s photo album on Facebook, or the live webcam installed by the city of Zurich.

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Challengers lose in 11th inning

The NLA-Team lost Game 5 to the Therwil Flyers 7-6 in 11 innings. After trailing 5-0 after two innings, the Challengers came back and took a 6-5 lead off reliever Stefan Koller in the eighth inning, but a huge error and a sac fly tied it at 6 apiece in the bottom of the ninth. In the 11th, back-to-back singles by Matthias Jung and Seppi Zwyer off Tobias Siegrist clinched the Semifinals Series in favor of the Flyers.
 

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1.Liga-Team beendet Saison auf Rang 3

Das 1.Liga-Team gewann auch das zweite Spiel der best-of-three Serie um den dritten Platz gegen die Zürich Barracudas. Nach einem 20-5 Erfolg im ersten Spiel vor zwei Wochen, liessen die Challengers am Samstag, 19. September in Embrach einen 21-12 Sieg gegen den Stadtrivalen folgen. Damit beenden die Challengers eine starke Saison auf dem dritten Schlussrang und steigen damit in die NLB auf. Die Challengers gewannen die Vorrunde in der Ostgruppe mit elf Siegen aus zwoelf Partien, schieden dann aber im Halbfinale mit 1-2 gegen die Thun Hunters aus. Insgesamt gewann das Team von Headcoach Kurt Kovac 2009 14 seiner 17 Spiele.

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A look back at Game 5s

This year’s Playoff Semifinals both go down to deciding Game 5’s for the first time ever in Swiss baseball history, and only the second time that both Semifinal Series go the entire length (2001’s Semifinals Series were played in Best-of-3 formats as both of them were decided in Game 3). Time to look back at the Challengers’ memorable Game 5’s in the last couple seasons. Read more in the NLA’s clubhouse

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1.Liga-Team spielt um Platz drei

Das 1.Liga-Team beendet seine Saison am Samstag, 19. September in Embrach mit dem zweiten und falls noetig dritten Spiel des kleinen Finals gegen die Zuerich Barracudas. Die Challengers fuehren in der Serie 1-0, nachdem sie vor zwei Wochen das erste Spiel sicher mit 20-5 gewonnen haben. Spiel 2 und falls noetig 3 in der best-of-three Serie findet um 11.00 und 14.00 Uhr in Embrach PZ Hard statt.

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Ladies eliminated by Flyers 1-2

The Softball-Team’s season came to an end on Sunday, September 13 at Therwil after losing Game 2 and also the decisive Game 3 of the best-of-three semifinal series against the defending champion Therwil Flyers. Jennifer Feret was one error shy of a perfect game and the Flyers used small ball to tie the series at 1-1 with a 6-0 victory in Game 2 against the Challengers. Both teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard through the first four innings, before the Flyers opened the score in the fifth, as they executed a number of perfect bunts for a 2-0 lead. And they added four more runs in the sixth, as the C’s misplayed a grounder that should have been the third out of the frame. Feret struck out 14 for the win, while Karen Heimgartner allowed six runs – only one earned – and eight hits with two walks, while also striking out nine. The series have come down to a winner-takes-it-all Game 3. And the eight-time Swiss champion got on the board in the first inning, as Colleen Conway scored on a sacrifice bunt. The Challengers avoided further damage in the second inning, as Leandra Simitovic pitched in and out of trouble ending the inning with a strikeout with the bases loaded. But Jennifer Feret opened the third with a solo shot over the left field fence and the Flyers made it 3-0 on a sacrifice fly to center field by Marlene Wittwer. And that was all Sophie Zihlmann and the Flyers needed, as the Challengers’ bats remained silent for the entire day. The Flyers made it 4-0 in the fifth, as Feret scored on another sacrifice fly from Babsi Meierhans and they added two more runs on a costly error by the Challengers’ defense to eventually win 6-0 and taking the series by 2-1. Zihlmann tossed a one-hitter with two walks and six strikeouts for the win. Simitovic allowed six runs – four of them earned – and eight hits with three walks and one strikeout but had no support from her offense, as the Challengers weren’t able to repeat their outstanding performance from Game 1, as they edged the Flyers 6-5. The Flyers will face the Bern Cardinals in the finals, who swept the Wil Devils in the other semifinal, while the team of headcoach Armin Blickenstorfer finishs the season in fourth place.

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