One week after a split against the Zurich Lions the Challengers again earned a split this time against the first-placed Zurich Barracudas on Sunday, July 25 at the Heerenschürli ballpark.

Yusuf Isik outdueled Oliver Christen, as the Barracudas edged the Challengers 5-4 in Game 1. The Barracudas opened the score in the first inning, but the C’s answered with two runs of their own in the second, as Oliver Christen and Willy Schaub crossed the plate to make it 2-1. The Challengers’ lead was short-lived, as Francisco Robles delivered a two-run single and the Barracudas added one more in the bottom half of the frame. And the Barracudas added another run in the fourth, as Mick Meier hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-5.

The C’s weren’t done yet, but Isik gave up only two single runs over the last three frames, as Mathew Stringer drove in Patrick Maier in the fifth and Adrian Kämpfer in the seventh inning, as the Barracudas held on for a 5-4 victory.

Isik went the distance, as he allowed four runs and seven hits, while Oliver Christen gave up five runs and seven hits, while also striking out three.

The Challengers collected a surprising win, as they rallied for three runs in the seventh to eventually beat the Barracudas 5-3 in Game 2. A close affair the entire way, the C’s got some great pitching from Patrick Maier, who tossed a three-hitter with seven strikeouts and only one walk.

The C’s broke a scoreless tie in the third inning, as Adrian Kämpfer drove in Maier with an RBI-double and they added another run, as Maier scored on a sacrifice fly from Yanik Probst in the fifth inning. The Barracudas turned the game around, as they scored three runs in the bottom half of the fifth, as a two-run double from Mick Meier made it 2-3. But the Challengers scored three unanswered runs in the top of the seventh frame, as again Maier drove in Probst with an RBI-double to tie the game at 3-3. After a hit-by-pitch to Kämpfer, Werner Zingg loaded the bases with a single to left field and one batter later the C’s took the lead again, as Micha Seger drove in Maier, while Oliver Christen drove in Kämpfer for a 5-3 lead.

The Challengers remain in sixth place with a 4-10 record, while the Barracudas (11-3) were passed by the Zurich Lions, who moved into first place with a 10-2 record.