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