In the first city derby of the season the Zurich Barracudas clearly prevailed 11-3 on Friday evening. They decide what has been a tight game over five frames with six runs in the sixth inning.
The game was dominated by the defense of both teams for a long time. The score was only 1-1 after five innings. An RBI-single from James Sanders that brought home Carlos Nepomuceno evened the visitors’ early lead in the second inning. But the Barracudas took fire in the sixth inning, which should be decisive. Challengers starter Simon Steffen showed another strong performance and allowed three hits only with one walk and three strikeouts. But in the sixth inning, after two walks and a hit-by-pitch, he was faced with loaded bases. And the Barracudas resolutely took advantage of the opportunity. With four hits and a sac bunt they managed to go ahead 7-1, a deficit the Challengers were unable to recover. Although they were also able to load the bases in the sixth frame, a walk by Säntis Zeller, which brought home Patrick Maier, was the only countable result.
In the end, the Barracudas clearly prevailed 11-3 in a good and exciting game. In contrast to the Challengers, they converted their scoring opportunities far better. The home team stranded no fewer than 15 baserunners while scoring just three runs. Challenger’s coach Thomas Burger made several changes at the end of the game, so that Noam Blickenstorfer and Jack Siemers made their NLA debut. The second game of the two-game series will take place on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at the Heerenschürli ballpark.

The Challengers celebrate two victories against the Bern Cardinals on Saturday. From the fifth inning of game one the C’s are dominant and win twice with the Mercy Rule.
Leonel Sosa Marte opened the score with an RBI triple in the first inning. Patrick Maier found the right answer to the visitors’ equalizer with an RBI single, Ryan Byrne added a sac fly and James Sanders another RBI single to make it 4-1. Once again, the Cardinals came close with some help from the Challengers defense, but from Marco Limacher’s RBI single in the fifth inning the game went in one direction only. With eight runs in the seventh inning the Challengers selt the deal.
Pitcher Simon Steffen had a strong performance, delivering a complete game and giving up three hits and four runs only – two earned – without a walk, but with eight strikeouts. Ryan Byrne, Nick Siemers and Marco Limacher each had three hits of a total of 16 dekivered by the Challengers.
The Cardinals got two runs in the second game in the first inning, but the hope of taking home a W was over pretty quickly. The Challengers offense picked up where it left off in game one. With seven hits they produced six runs in the bottom of the first and from then on there was never any doubt about the outcome of the game. Again the Challengers won early with 13-3. Nick Siemers had two hits and three RBIs, and Leonel Sosa Marte and Patrik Maier also had two hits.

The Challengers have been struggling against the Pirates for a long time, but in the end they clearly prevail. Game 2 had to be canceled due to rain.
The spectators saw a slugging festival at the Wiler Lindenhof. The teams combined for 28 hits, including 7 home runs, and a total of 31 runs. What initially looked like a tough ride eventually became a (too) obvious prey for the Challengers. Because the Challengers had a lot of trouble with the Pirates, who were also in a good mood offensively. In any case, the C’s trailed 6-7 after five innings. While the Pirates couldn’t keep up their level in the second half of the game, the Challengers improved significantly. So the narrow deficit turned into a 22-9 victory.
Statistically Ryan Byrne shone with four hits, including two home runs, eight RBI and four runs, Adam Greenberg and Leonel Sosa Marte scored three hits with a home run each and Säntis Zeller also sent the ball over the fence at the Wiler Lindenhof. Starter Simon Steffen got the win, while closer Stefan Haltmeier only needed 22 pitches for his four innings of work and gave up just one hit and one walk on four strikeouts, earning him the save.

Finally the 2023 season has started with the rematch of last year’s finals. And it was a nail biter – with the Challengers finding themselves at the wrong end. The reigning champion Therwil Flyers took the opener 8-7 in extra innings and rallied for a 7-3 win in Game 2.
Säntis Zeller had the honor of scoring the first run of the season, while Regis Reinhard had it’s first RBI in a Challengers uniform. After the Flyers scored three runs in the bottom half of the first, Simon Steffen and Adam Greenberg tied the game again thanks to a sac fly by Zeller and a RBI-triple by Leonel Sosa Marte. While the Challengers stranded two runners at least in the next few innings, the Flyers sneaked off to a 6-3 lead and still had a three run lead after eight innings. Last chance for the Challengers and indeed James Sanders with a RBI-double and Leonel Sosa Marte with a 2-run-double sent the game to extra innings. And with no outs the C’s had the bases loaded, but weren’t able to cash in. Completely different the Flyers. David Castillo launched the second pitch of the tenth frame to a walk off RBI-single.
It was a story of missed chances. The Challengers outhit their opponent 12-7 and drew 11-4 walks but stranded a total of 20 batters, but once more the Flyers walked away with the win. Leonel Sosa Marte started the season with a four-hit game and was a homer shy of the cycle, James Sanders had three hits, while Simon Steffen allowed three earned runs in seven innings pitched.
Zeller again scored the first run in Game 2. And it even got better for the Challengers. Marco Limacher belted a 2-run homer over the center field fence for a 3-1 lead in the fourth frame. But the Flyers answered immediately with a walk, two hit batters, two singles, an error and two walks with the bases loaded to score five runs. They added another run in the fifth to eventually win 7-3.