Das NLB-Team empfängt die zweite Equipe der Bern Cardinals am Sonntag, 26. September im Stadion Heerenschürli zu den letzten beiden Spielen der Saison 2010. Die Challengers unterlagen zum Saisonstart den Cardinals in Bern mit 6-11 und 7-8, blieben zuletzt aber gegen die Wil Devils zweimal siegreich. Die Spiele beginnen um 10.00 und 13.00 Uhr.
Weiterlesen » Saisonfinale des NLB-TeamsSoftball Final Series tied at 1-1
The best-of-five-series between the Zurich Challengers and the Lucerne Eagles is tied at 1-1 after the first day at Zurich.
The Challengers took the opener, as the C’s erased a four-run deficit en route to a 10-5 victory over the Eagles. Simona Cellar drove in two runs, while Nancy Plamondon delivered two hits and Simone Zurschmitten scored three times. Leandra Simitovic recorded her eleventh win of the season, as she allowed five runs, six hits and six walks while striking out five.
Karen Heimgartner tossed a three-hitter in Game 2, but her defense threw it away, as the Challengers committed a total of nine errors. The C’s didn’t give up and rallied for five runs in the last two innings to eventually lose 7-8, as the Eagles tied the series at 1-1. Simone Zurschmitten delivered three hits with two doubles and drove in two runs and Simona Cellar had three hits with two RBI’s.
Game 3 and 4 will take place on Saturday, September 25 at Luzern Reussbühl.
Flyers take Game 2
The Therwil Flyers posted a 14-5 win over the Challengers in Game 2 of their best-of-five semifinal series to tie the series at 1-1.
Game 3 will take place on Saturday, September 25 at Therwil with Game 4 being played on Sunday, September 26 at 5pm at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
Swiss Softball Final
The Softball final series begins on Saturday, September 18 with the Zurich Challengers and the Luzern Eagles playing Game 1 and 2 of their best-of-five series.
It is the first-ever postseason meeting between the two teams. For the Challengers it is the fourth appearance in the finals and the first since 2007, after winning the Swiss championship in 2006, while the Eagles reached the finals in 2008 after winning the crown twice in 1999 and 2001.
This year the Eagles finished the qualification round in first place with a 19-5 record and swept the Wil Devils in their semifinal series 2-0. After a 12-2 victory in Game 1, the Eagles edged the Devils in Game 2, as they posted a 1-0 shutout win. The Challengers, who had a 15-9 regular season record, dethroned the reigning champion Therwil Flyers in their semifinal series. After the C’s won the opener 13-2, the Flyers forced a decisive Game 3 with a 11-1 victory in Game 2, before the C’s posted a 16-9 win in Game 3.
With two wins apiece on each field in May the Eagles swept the season series from the Challengers. The Eagles are riding a seven game winning streak and won 13 of their last 14 games, while the Challengers have a 16-5 record since June 5, after a dismal 1-5 start.
The games start at 11am and 1.30pm at the Klopstockwiese. Game 3 and if necessary 4 and 5 will be played on September 25 and 26 at Luzern Reussbühl.
History:
Number of meetings (since 2004): 18
Regular Season Series: 11-7 (.611) Zurich Challengers
Post Season Meetings: first-ever postseason series
Spiel 2 in Therwil
Die Challengers reisen am Samstag, 18. September nach Therwil für Spiel 2 ihrer best-of-five Halbfinalserie gegen den amtierenden Schweizer Meister Therwil Flyers.
Spiel 1 entschieden die Challengers mit 6-5 knapp für sich, als Jesus Martinez in der zweiten Hälfte des neunten Innings mit einem Single Yonimiler Martinez nach Hause brachte und das Spiel beendete. Spielbeginn ist um 14.00 Uhr in Therwil Känelmatt.
Ladies move into Finals
The Softball-Team won its best-of-three semifinal series against the reigning champion Therwil Flyers. After the Challengers won the opener on Saturday, as they cruised to a 13-2 victory, the Flyers bounced back strong in Game 2, as they rolled to a 11-1 win to tie the series at 1-1 and to force a decisive Game 3.
And the decider was a seesaw, as the lead changed five times and the Challengers erased a two-run deficit three times to eventually win 16-9, as the Flyers weren’t able to get out of the fourth inning, as three pitchers combined for eleven base-on-balls. Andrea Wirth drove in four runs and Ziegylou Wehrli collected three RBI’s, while Wirth, Karen Heimgartner and Simona Cellar had two hits apiece. Leandra Simitovic tossed a complete game for her tenth win of the season.
With this win the Challengers move into the Finals for the fourth time in team history and for the first time since 2007. They will face the Luzern Eagles, who swept the Wil Devils in the other semifinal series.
Game 1 and 2 of the best-of-five championship series will take place on Saturday, September 18 at 11am at the Klopstockwiese.
Challengers take Series lead
The Challengers took the Series opener 6-5 against the Therwil Flyers with a walkoff single by Jesus Martinez. With a drawn in infield, Jesus Martinez lifted a little blooper over the first baseman’s head, enabling to score Yonimiler Martinez from third, who earlier tied the game with an RBI-triple to center field.
A day earlier, Yonimiler Martinez broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run homerun in the top of the eight inning and James Sanders tossed nine strong innings, as the C’s posted an 8-6 win over the Therwil Flyers in the regular season finale. With their 12th win of the season, the C’s moved into fourth place.
Entscheidungsspiel in Therwil
Die Challengers reisen am Samstag, 11. September zum alles entscheidenden letzten Vorrundenspiel zum Leader Therwil Flyers. Die Challengers benötigen unbedingt einen Sieg, um den Stadtrivalen Zürich Barracudas noch vom vierten Tabellenrang zu verdrängen und sich noch für die Playoffs zu qualifizieren. Spielbeginn ist um 15.00 Uhr in Therwil Känelmatt.
Sollten die Challengers die Playoffs erreichen, würden sie bereits am Sonntag, 12. September erneut auf die Therwil Flyers treffen. Das Startspiel zur best-of-five Halbfinalserie würde um 14.00 Uhr im Stadion Heerenschürli ausgetragen.
Playoffstart fuer das Softball-Team
Das Softball-Team bestreitet am Wochenende seine best-of-three Playoff-Halbfinalserie gegen den amtierenden Schweizer Meister Therwil Flyers. Beide Teams beendeten die Vorrunde mit je 15 Siegen, die Challengers sicherten sich den Heimvorteil aufgrund der geringeren Anzahl erhaltener Runs.
Spiel 1 findet am Samstag, 11. September um 11.00 Uhr in Therwil Känelmatt I statt, Spiel 2 und falls nötig 3 am Sonntag, 12. September um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr auf der Klopstockwiese.
Die Challengers und die Flyers blicken auf eine lange Geschichte mit packenden Playoff-Duellen zurück, treffen die beiden Erzrivalen doch zum sechsten aufeinanderfolgenden Mal in der Postseason aufeinander. Letztes Jahr setzten sich die Flyers im Halbfinal mit 2-1 durch, nachdem die Challengers das Startspiel noch mit 6-5 gewinnen konnten. Den einzigen Erfolg für die Challengers gab es 2006, als sich die Zürcherinnen im Final mit 2-0 durchsetzten und ihren ersten Schweizer Meistertitel erringen konnten.