In the extremely balanced eastern group of the regional league, the Zurich Barracudas, the Zurich Eighters and the Zurich Challengers also shared the wins on Sunday. All three Zurich clubs have a .500 record and share second place.
With many Swiss baseball fans attending the London Series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend, the rosters were thin. For the Challengers even the coaches Oliver Freigang and Nico Bucher had to go on the field.
In the first game of the day against the Zurich Barracudas, the teams moved in step for a long time. The Barracudas went ahead each time, the Challengers were able to counter each time. Except in the last inning, where the C’s scored only two runs to make it 9-11 walking away with a loss. Jacob Stotz led the offense with three hits, Jasper Freigang got two hits.
The Challengers did even better in Game 2. After three innings they were already leading 14-1 against the Zurich Eighters. In the end it was a comfortable 18-3 victory. Joseph Stotz and Oliver Freigang each collected four RBIs, Jasper Freigang had three hits, while Noam Müller, Fabrizio Bucher, Oliver Freigang, Jiro Kaya and Nico Bucher all contributed two hits to the win.
Author: Serge Künzler
1st League-Team stays at .500
Cadets with split in Wil
The U15-Cadets left the field in Wil on Saturday with one win and one loss. While they were in front from the start in Game 1, the lead changed no less than six times in Game 2, with the better ending for the eastern Swiss.
The guests from Zurich got off to a good start, which was rewarded with a 3-0 lead. Things evened out a bit after that, after four innings the Challengers led by 7-3 before they decided the game with eight runs in the fifth inning and ultimately won 15-7. Jasper Freigang had three hits, including two doubles, five RBI and two runs, Noam Müller delivered three hits, three RBI and three runs, and Niilo Benz also had three RBI.
The second game of the day was a back and forth. The lead changed after almost every offense. The Challengers went out of the first inning with a 4-2 lead. They later led 9-7 and after four innings again 13-10. In the fifth frame Wil scored six runs, which the Challengers were no longer able to counter. Despite a hit from Aaron Schütz and a triple from Jordi Bucher, they only managed one run and lost 14-16. Noam Müller and Philip Louis each delivered two hits and scored three runs each for the Challengers.
Win against Rättvik, Challengers defend spot in Federations Cup
In the last game the Challengers were challenged again. In order to defend the Swiss spot in the Federations Cup, a win against the Swedish representative Rättvik was needed. Things didn’t look good for the C’s for a long time. But in the sixth inning they turned the game around with six runs, won 8-6 and stayed in the Federations Cup.
The Swedes took the lead in the third thanks to a two-run homer by Joel Johnson and opened the gap to 3-0 in the fifth inning. The Challengers needed till the fifth frame to arrive on the scoreboard. After hits from Simon Steffen and James Sanders, Steffen benefited from a throwing error by the Swedes and scored the 1-3. Suddenly things were going well for Zurich, while the Swedish defense began to wobble. Leonel Sosa Marte started the sixth inning with a double followed by Ryan Byrne’s single and an RBI fielder’s choice from Regis Reinhard. After a single by Säntis Zeller, the Challengers tied the game and after another error by the Scandinavians, Zeller scored the leading run for his colors. The Zurich team followed up with a single by James Sanders, before Adam Greenberg made it 6-3 with a 2-run double and Rättvik also allowed the 3-7 with another error. Zeller scored an insurance run in the seventh inning to make it 8-3, a lead the Challengers didn’t give up anymore.
James Sanders and Ryan Byrne led the Zurich offensive with three hits each, while Hayden Jung-Goldberg and Säntis Zeller each contributed two hits to the win. James Sanders got the win with another seven strong innings.
Sanders had the tournament’s highest batting average with eleven hits and a fantastic .647, while Simon Steffen was the top pitcher with ten strikeouts in this category. Since the Ukrainians from Gorn were able to celebrate a walk-off win after an extra-innings against the previously unbeaten leader Dornbirn in the afternoon game, the Challengers finished the tournament in fourth place.
All the games from Bratislava have been streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers 2-5
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians 1-16 (5 Inn.)
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers 6-8
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m. Final: Deurne Spartans vs. Dornbirn Indians
Challengers against Dornbirn without a chance
After the Challengers’ first victory in the tournament against the representative from Ukraine, there was nothing to do for them against the Dornbirn Indians. The Challengers have been defeated by 16-1.
The highlight from the Challenger’s point of view came in the first inning. Leonel Sosa Marte opened the score with a solo home run. However, this remained the only positive note of the game for the Swiss runner-up. Dornbirn immediately countered with five runs. After two innings it was 1-11, after five innings the game was over due to the mercy rule. The Challengers still have one game left. The last opponent is Rättvik BSK from Sweden on Friday morning at 10.00 a.m.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers 2-5
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians 1-16 (5 Inn.)
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final
Challengers arrive in win column
After two losses on Monday and Tuesday, the Challengers brought home their first win in the third game of the tournament. They beat the Ukrainian team CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn 5-2.
However it did not start promisingly. The first three batters of the Ukrainians reached with three hits and scored two runs, but the Zurich team threw the anchor in time, came out of the inning and, for their part, didn’t waste any time to get on the scoreboard as well. A 2-run triple from Adam Greenberg quickly evened the game and Regis Reinhard even put his colors ahead with an RBI double. In the third inning, the Challengers extended their lead to three runs. Again Adam Greenberg was involved with an RBI double. This was already enough, because pitcher James Sanders, already batting leader of the tournament, also showed an outstanding performance on the mound. He only allowed seven hits and two runs with no walks and six strikeouts in a complete game. The next opponents on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. are the Dornbirn Indians, who are still undefeated.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers 2-5
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final
Challengers lead after five, still lose
The Challengers lead the Deurne Spartans for five innings, but the Belgians eventually prevail 7-2. Leonel Sosa Marte started the game with an RBI groundout in the first inning. After that the two teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard inning after the otherfor the next four innings. But then the C’s committed a costly error with two outs, what the Belgians used to score three runs out of nowhere. In the seventh frame the Spartans added four more runs, while the Zurich team only scored one more run thanks to an RBI single from Säntis Zeller, making their second defeat in the tournament a fact. The next opponents are CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn from Ukraine on Wednesday at 1.30 p.m.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers 7-2
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final
Challengers lose Opener
After a turbulent journey including a car breakdown, the Challengers faced the home team of Apollo Bratislava at the Federations Cup in Bratislava on Monday. The Zurich team fell behind in the first inning 0-3 and couldn’t catch up until the end. Hayden Jung-Goldberg brought the hope back for his colors in the sixth inning with a 2-run double, but they couldn’t get closer than two runs. Although the C’s had an advantage over the home team with 9-7 hits, in the end they lost 3-7. Strong performance by leadoff batter James Sanders, who delivered four hits. Leonel Sosa Marte had two hits and scored two runs. The next opponents on Tuesday at 1.30 p.m. are the Deurne Spartans from Belgium.
All the games from Bratislava will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava 3-7
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final
Challengers at the Federation Cup in Bratislava
The Challengers are taking part in the Federations Cup in Bratislava this week. The tournament starts on Monday June 19th and ends on Saturday June 24th. Opponents of the Challengers are CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn from Ukraine, Deurne Spartans from Belgium, Dornbirn Indians from Austria, Rättvik BSK from Sweden and host Apollo Bratislava from Slovakia.
The Challengers will play the evening game against the home team from Bratislava on Monday after the official opening ceremony. All the games will be streamed live on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
Schedule:
Monday, June 19, 5 p.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Apollo Bratislava
Tuesday, June 20, 1.30 p.m.: Deurne Spartans vs. Zurich Challengers
Wednesday, June 21, 1.30 p.m.: CNTU-OSDYSSOR-Gorn vs. Zurich Challengers
Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m.: Zurich Challengers va. Dornbirn Indians
Friday, June 23, 10 a.m.: Rättvik BSK vs. Zurich Challengers
Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.: Final
Two wins for the Softball-Team
The Softball-Team defeats the Sissach Frogs twice. The two teams offer the audience two exciting games with a lot of successful actions both on the offensive and on the defensive.
Young players Sarah Kleiterp and Alexandra Weibel made their debut in the Swiss Softball League under the watchful eye of Challenger’s honorary president Werner Zingg. And the two did extremely well. This also applied to the other Challengers players. Amanda Marxer pitched a career-best three innings and allowed just five hits and four runs, three earned, Tamara Ammeter got her third win of the season with a scoreless inning, and on the offense Isabelle Tan had three hits and scored three runs and Molly Mullens had three Hits and three RBIs, while Mia Matas’ added two doubles, two RBIs and two runs to make it 12-4 in the end.
The second game of the day was extremely exciting. The guests from the Basel area were ahead and the Challengers behind for almost the entire game with the home team constantly under pressure. It took six innings before the C’s turned the game around with six runs. In the end it was a narrow 19-16 victory against a self-sacrificing Frogs. Mia Matas had a dream day with three hits and no fewer than eight RBI. Tamara Ammeter contributed two hits, three RBI and four runs, Isabelle Tan contributed one hit, four walks and five runs and rookie Sarah Kleiterp notched her first two hits of the career. Taylor McCants was credited with the win, as she allowed seven hits and four runs – two of them earned – in four innings without a walk and with three strikeouts.
NLB-Team defeated twice with more than ten runs
Saturday was a used day for the NLB-Team. Against the Embrach Mustangs, it once again suffered two high defeats. However the results hide the fact that some things were good on the part of the Challengers as well.
At the beginning everything looked good. After two innings the score was even at 1-1. But then the Challengers lost the thread. The Mustangs scored at least four runs in each subsequent inning and in the fourth frame they even scored eleven runs. However the home team helped a lot. Seven errors, three hit-by-pitches and nine walks were added to the 17 hits of the Zürcher Unterländer, resulting in a huge 24-7 loss in the end.
The Challengers lost Game 2 by a score of 20-8 again. But the story behind the numbers was different than in game 1. The guests from Embrach scored six runs in the first inning. The Challengers had to fear the worst, but the Heerenschürli team fought back into the game. In the third inning, the Challengers reconnected to a 6-7 thanks to an RBI groundout from Joseph Stotz, an RBI double from Florin Kampfer, an RBI single from Denyo Benz and a 2-run double from David Morroni. In the fourth inning, the Mustangs added two runs again, but the Challengers had the opportunity to turn the game around entirely. They managed to load the bases with one out, but they could only cash in two runs with a steal on home by Joseph Stotz and a bases loaded walk by Alex Gordon. It wasn’t enough for more than the 8-9. And suddenly the thread broke again. The Mustangs scored 11 unanswered runs in the remaining innings. Despite ultimately 14-10 hits in favor of the Challengers, it was a big loss. But with nine errors the C’s also stood in their own way.