The Softball-Team won twice against the second team of the Luzern Eagles on Saturday, July 9 at the Klopstockwiese to improve their record to 11-7. Leandra Simitovic tossed a one-hitter, as the Challengers cruised to a 15-0 shutout win in Game 1. The C’s built a 3-0 lead in the first inning, as Simona Cellar drove in Brigit Zuber and Rookie Sarah Lechmann delivered a two-run single.
The game was decided in the second frame, as the C’s sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs, highlighted by a two-run single from Celine Welti, to make it 14-0. Sophie Töpel opened the third inning with a single and later crossed the plate for a 15-0 mercy-rule win.
Sarah Lechmann had a game-high three RBI’s, while Leandra Simitovic, Brittany Howell, Simona Cellar and Celine Welti drove in two runs apiece.
The C’s extended their winning streak to five games, as they posted a 17-6 victory over the Eagles 2 in Game 2. The Eagles had the better start, scoring six runs in the first frame, as starter Andrea Wirth had problems finding the zone, but the Challengers’ bats took control, as they exploded for 11 hits, scoring 17 unanswered runs in three innings.
After cutting the deficit to two runs in the bottom of the first inning, as Simona Cellar hit a RBI-double and Sophie Töpel had a run-scoring single, Leandra Simitovic and Brittany Howell hit back-to-back doubles and Sarah Lechmann added a two-run single in the second to make it 7-6, before Nadja Critelli and Andrea Wirth had a RBI-single each.
But the C’s saved the best for last, as Leandra Simitovic belted a two-run homer over the left field fence in the third inning for a 17-6 win.
Simitovic recorded her sixth win of the season, as she pitched 3.1 hitless innings of relief, while Brigit Zuber, Simitovic and Howell scored three runs each.
Ladies add two more to the win column
Old Stars messen sich mit aktuellen Challengers
Am Montag, 11. Juli kommt es im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli zum Aufeinandertreffen von ehemaligen Grössen der Challengers gegen die aktuelle Mannschaft. Bei den Old Stars werden unter anderem Armin Blickenstorfer, Urs Blickenstorfer, Roger Brunner, Beat Eichenberger, Simon Hesse, Yves Huber, Jim Kaufmann, Thomas Landis, Nick Lehmann, David Luisi, Peter Luisi, Dario Rinaldi und Gustavo Salami im Heerenschürli auflaufen. Beginn ist um 19.00 Uhr.
Continue Reading » Old Stars messen sich mit aktuellen ChallengersChallengers Heimspiele am Wochenende
Die Softballerinnen empfangen am Samstag, 9. Juli die zweite Equipe der Luzern Eagles auf der Klopstockwiese. Die Challengers werden versuchen, ihre Siegesserie auszubauen und einen weiteren Schritt in Richtung Playoffs zu machen. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr.
Das NLB-Team triff am Sonntag, 10. Juli im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli auf den Tabellenführer Bern Cardinals. Für die Challengers geht es darum, mit den Spitzenteams Schritt zu halten. Die Spiele beginnen um 11.00 und 14.00 Uhr.
Barracudas outhit Challengers
The Zurich Barracudas won the third local derby of the season on Tuesday, July 5 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The C’s erased a three-run deficit in the fourth frame and came within one run again, as they made it 6-7 in the sixth inning, but the Barracudas held on for a 12-7 victory to improve their record to 8-10. The Challengers are still in fourth place with a 9-11 record.
Continue Reading » Barracudas outhit ChallengersFamily & Friends Plauschturnier
Am Sonntag, 3. Juli fand auf der Klopstockwiese zum zwölften Mal das traditionelle Challengers Family & Friends Tournament statt, erstmals sogar mit Swimming Pool, der dank einem leistungsfähigen Kompressor in Windeseile aufgebaut werden konnte. Aktuelle und ehemalige Spielerinnen und Spieler, deren Familien und Freunde, kämpften in vier Teams um den Turniersieg. Bei schönen äusseren Bedingungen wurden während fast sechs Stunden um Hits, Runs & Outs gefightet. In einem spannenden Endspiel siegten die Turnierfavoriten The Representers mit 7-5 gegen die Capitals. Der Dank geht an alle Helferinnen und Helfer sowie an alle Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer, die das Plauschturnier erneut zu einem grossen Erfolg machten.
Schlussklassement:
1. The Representers
2. Capitals
3. Team Pink
4. Team Pilatus
Stadtderby am Dienstag Abend
Am Dienstag, 5. Juli treffen im Baseballstadion Heerenschürli die Challengers und die Zürich Barracudas zum dritten Stadtderby der Saison aufeinander. In den bisherigen zwei Duellen gewannen beide Teams je einmal. Sowohl die Challengers als auch die Barracudas kämpfen nach wie vor um den vierten Platz und somit um die Qualifikation für die Playoffs. Spielbeginn ist um 19.00 Uhr.
Continue Reading » Stadtderby am Dienstag AbendSoftball-Team defeats Barracudas 7-3
The Softball-Team won its third game in three days. Brittany Howell broke a 2-2 tie with no outs in the third inning, as she belted the go-ahead two-run homer to make it 4-2 and the Challengers defense turned two crucial double plays, as the C’s posted a 7-3 victory over the Zurich Barracudas on Tuesday, June 28.
Leandra Simitovic opened the score in the first frame, but the Barracudas answered with two runs of their own. Chris Garcia scored on a passed ball and the plate umpire called an illegal pitch with a runner on third, that enabled the Barracudas to take a 2-1 lead. Simona Cellar tied the game again in the second frame, as she opened the inning with a base hit and scored later on a passed ball.
After Howell’s homerun the C’s increased their lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning, as Nancy Plamondon crossed the plate and Simona Cellar drove in another run, before Jackie Mottl scored the third run for the Barracudas in the bottom of the frame. The C’s added one more in the sixth to eventually win 7-3.
Brittany Howell tossed a three-hitter with fourteen strikeouts and Nancy Plamondon scored three times, while Leandra Simitovic and Simona Cellar had two hits apiece.
The C’s stay in fifth place with a 9-7 record, but closed the gap to the fourth placed Barracudas (8-6). They will host the second team from the Luzern Eagles on Saturday, July 9 at the Klopstockwiese.
NLA-team gains split with Flyers
The Challengers extended the Therwil Flyers’ losing streak to two games by edging them 4-3 in 10 innings in Game 1. Tobias Siegrist went all ten innings and improved to 5-3 on the season. Chris Palatinus led the offense with three hits, while Stefan Koller suffered his first loss of the season by giving up Thomas Blank’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the tenth.
In Game 2, Saentis Zeller erased the Flyers’ 2-1 lead with a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Palatinus held the Flyers in check until the seventh and final inning. But a wild throw by shortstop Yanik Probst enabled the tying run to score, sending that game into extra innings, as well. In the eighth inning with two outs, Reto Siegel lined a single to center field to seal the Flyer’s 4-3 win.
Ladies move over .500, sweep Jets
The Softball-Team won twice in Geneva on Sunday, June 26 to move over .500 for the first time this season. Game 1 was a tough battle that lasted over two and a half hours, before the Challengers overcame the Geneva Jets 14-11. The C’s took the lead from the beginning but the Jets managed to come within one run three times till the sixth inning. The C’s then finally broke it open in the seventh, as they scored five runs for a 14-8 lead to seal the deal.
Brittany Howell went 4-for-5 with three RBI’s for the C’s, while Leandra Simitovic had two hits and scored four runs and Jennifer Probst crossed the plate three times.
Brittany Howell set the pace in Game 2, as she allowed two unearned runs and four hits while striking out a season high 15 batters to lead the Challengers to a 10-2 victory over the Jets. The C’s made it 2-0 in the first frame, as Ziegylou Wehrli drove in Nancy Plamondon and scored later on a passed ball. And the C’s added three more runs in the third inning, as Simona Cellar delivered a run-scoring double and Celine Welti had an RBI-single to make it 5-1.
The C’s remain in fifth place with a 8-7 record. They will face the fourth-placed Zurich Barracudas on Tuesday, June 28 for their second night game within a week at Rümlang. The game starts at 6.30pm at Rümlang Rümelbach.
NLB-Team splits with Barracudas
The NLB-Team split with the Zurich Barracudas on Saturday, June 25 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The Barracudas took a 9-1 lead in Game 1, but the C’s cut the defict to four runs and loaded the bases again in the seventh inning, but couldn’t cash in, so that the Barracudas held on for a 9-5 win.
The blue and red answered in Game 2, as they posted a 11-4 victory over the Barracudas. The C’s remain in third place with a 5-3 record. They will host the Bern Cardinals on July 10 at the Heerenschürli ballpark.