Am kommenden Sonntag, 4. Juli findet ab 10.00 Uhr auf der Klopstockwiese in Zürich-Enge wieder das traditionelle Challengers Family & Friends Tournament statt (Tram 13 & Bus 33 bis Waffenplatzstrasse). Es sind alle Freunde der Challengers eingeladen, einmal selber das Bat zu schwinge.
Neben 30 Jahre Challengers kann dieses Jahr auch das Family & Friends Plauschturnier ein kleines Jubiläum feiern. Vor 10 Jahren, genauer am 9. Juli 2000, wurde das Turnier erstmals durchgeführt und ist seither nicht mehr aus dem Challengers Kalender wegzudenken.
Family & Friends Plauschturnier
Ladies’ five game winning streak halted
The Challengers had their five-game winning streak halted in Game 1 when they dropped a 10-2 decision at Therwil against the first placed Flyers on Saturday, June 26.
The reigning Swiss champion seized control of the opener by scoring five runs on three hits and two Challengers errors in the first frame and they added five more runs in the second, as Roo Richardson belted a grand slam to center field that made it 10-2 in her first game for the Flyers. The Challengers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Alexia Zingg delivered a two-run double, but missed several scoring opportunities in the next couple of frames, as they stranded a total of ten baserunners.
The defense was the difference in Game 2. While the Flyers played flawlessly, the Challengers committed several defensive miscues that allowed the Flyers to pull out a 6-0 victory. The Flyers opened the score in the second inning on an overthrow and a passed ball to make it 2-0 and put things out of reach in the fifth, as they scored four runs on three hits and three errors by the Challengers’ defense.
Jennifer Feret tossed a three-hitter with ten strikeouts and two walks, while Karen Heimgartner allowed six runs – only one earned – and five hits with one walk and eleven strikeouts.
Challengers sweep Cardinals
The Challengers won twice against the Bern Cardinals to extend their winning streak to four on Saturday, June 26 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The Challengers (8-6) posted a 12-10 win against the Cardinals (9-9) in Game 1 and added a 3-0 shutout victory in Game 2. With the two wins the C’s climed over .500 for the first time since opening day and moved into third place.
Weiterlesen » Challengers sweep CardinalsChallengers treffen auf Cardinals
Die Challengers empfangen die Bern Cardinals am Samstag, 26. Juni im Stadion Heerenschürli. Die Challengers werden versuchen ihr Punktekonto im Kampf um die Playoffplätze zu äufnen. Die beiden Teams standen sich bereits am 24. April ein erstes Mal in dieser Saison gegenüber. Dabei gewannen die Bundesstädter beide Partien. Die Spiele beginnen um 11.00 und 14.00 Uhr.
Das Softball-Team reist am Samstag, 26. Juni nach Therwil, wo es auf den amtierenden Schweizer Meister Therwil Flyers trifft. Spielbeginn ist um 11.00 und 13.30 Uhr in Therwil Känelmatt II.
Ladies win fifth in a row
The Challengers climbed over .500 for the first time this season, as they posted a 6-4 win over the Zurich Barracudas on Thursday night, June 26.
Vanessa Zulliger broke a sixth-inning tie with an RBI-groundout, as the C’s won their fifth straight. Andrea Wirth hit a two-run double, Simone Zurschmitten finished 2-for-3, while Simona Cellar scored twice for the blue and red.
The Challengers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on a RBI-double by Zurschmitten, but the Barracudas answered with a run of their own in the second frame to tie the game at 1-1. And the Barracudas added two more runs in the third inning on three errors by the Challengers defense and a RBI-single by Stephanie Reid.
The C’s regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back singles brought Cellar on third base and she crossed the plate on Alexia Zingg’s RBI-single. Then Leandra Simitovic reached on base-on-balls to load the bases for Wirth, who delivered a two-run double to make it 4-3. The Barracudas tied the game again in the fifth, before the C’s took the lead for good in the sixth, as Zulliger drove in Zurschmitten and Ziegylou Wehrli scored on a throwing error by the Barracudas defense that made it 6-4.
Karen Heimgartner allowed four unearned runs and four hits with ten strikeouts for the win, while Corina Grass allowed six runs – five earned – on seven hits and four walks, while also striking out five.
Softball Stadtderby am Donnerstag
Das Softball-Team empfängt den Stadtrivalen Zürich Barracudas am Donnerstag, 24. Juni auf der Klopstockwiese. Nachdem dieselbe Begegnung am vergangenen Donnerstag nach nur 1 Inning wegen Regens abgebrochen werden musste, sind die Wetterprognosen diesmal zumindest günstiger. Die beiden Teams standen sich bereits am Opening Day gegenüber, als die Barracudas das Eröffnungsspiel mit 13-6 gewinnen konnten, während die Challengers in der zweiten Partie mit einem 14-3 Erfolg antworteten.
Baseballspiele fallen Regen zum Opfer
Der Regen konnte sich am Samstag, 19. Juni als einziger in die Siegerliste eintragen. Das Stadtderby zwischen den Challengers und den Barracudas war nur eines von sieben Spielen in der Schweizer Liga, das dem anhaltenden Regen zum Opfer fiel.
Auch das NLB-Spiel zwischen den Challengers und den Wil Devils wurde abgesagt.
Der U15 Cadets-Spieltag vom Sonntag, 20. Juni wurde ebenfalls bereits abgesagt, da das Spielfeld in Rapperswil-Jona wegen der starken Regenfälle der vergangenen Tage nicht bespielbar ist.
Zurich derby at the Heerenschuerli
The Challengers and the Zurich Barracudas will meet on Saturday, June 19 for the second Zurich derby of the season. The Challengers (6-6) swept the Barracudas (7-7) on opening day, as they edged the Barracudas 6-5 in Game 1 and added a 11-0 shutout victory in Game 2. The games will start at 11am and 2pm at the Heerenschürli ballpark.
The NLB-Team will travel to Wil on Saturday, June 19, where it will take on the Wil Devils. The Devils (6-2) won both games at the first encounter against the Challengers (2-8), as they posted a 11-8 and a 3-1 victory. The games will start at 11am and 2pm at Wil Lindenhof.
Softball game called due to rain
The Challengers Softball-Team saw its Thursday night game against the Zurich Barracudas called after the first inning and a 0-4 score due to rain. It was already the third rainout for the C’s in 2010. No make-up date has been announced so far.
The next scheduled game between the two teams will unfold on Thursday, June 24 at 7pm at the Klopstockwiese again.
Ladies extend winning streak to four
The Challengers swept the Bern Cardinals on Sunday, June 13 at Hünenberg Wartstrasse to even their record at 5-5.
Victory seemed far away for the Challengers, as they committed three first-inning errors and found themselves staring at a six-run deficit entering the bottom of the first frame in Game 1. Then the C’s came to life. They scored nine runs in the first two innings to make it 9-7, but lost their lead again in the fourth. But neither the Cardinals nor the rain were able to stop the Challengers in this one, as the C’s rallied for the second time crossing the plate seven times in the bottom of the fourth for a 17-12 lead. And the C’s shut the door in the fifth, as they added four more runs to eventually win 21-14.
Simona Cellar delivered four hits including a triple and a double and scored four runs and Simone Zurschmitten reached base five times, while Leandra Simitovic drove in five runs for the Challengers.
And the Challengers kept their winning streak alive, as they got another strong outing from Karen Heimgartner, as they posted a 6-0 victory in Game 2. Heimgartner tossed a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts to record her first shutout of the season. That bested Cardinals Jennifer Ellenbeck, who allowed just three hits but six runs, while striking out 17.
The blue and red heated up after a 20 minutes rain delay in the bottom of the fourth inning to do the damage. Nancy Plamondon reached on a base-on-balls and two stolen bases and a wild pitch later she opened the score for the C’s. Simone Zurschmitten’s RBI-double added another run before she scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. And the C’s added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on RBI-singles by Simona Cellar and Alexia Zingg to seal the deal.
With their fourth win in a row the C’s moved into fourth place. They will face their cross-town rivals Zurich Barracudas on Thursday, June 17 at 7pm at the Klopstockwiese.