by John Baum
ZURICH CHALLENGERS (2-0) vs. BERN CARDINALS (0-4)
The Cardinals have their backs against the wall early in the 2010 campaign, and the Challengers hope to push the Swiss power farther out of the playoff picture. Although it is only the third week of the season, the Cardinals may find themselves outside looking in this year if they don’t start winning soon. The Challengers last week christened their new ballpark with two wins versus their in-town rival Barracudas. Tobias Imboden looks to bounce back to form, along with the Cardinal offense, whose struggles early have left them scoring a lowly 14 runs in four games. The Challengers will surely force the Cards offense to produce more than their average of 3.5 runs per game. Tobias Siegrist worked the final seven innings for a game one win last week, and James Sanders dominated in a shutout for his team in game two. If current form continues, it will be a long day for the Cardinals. The Cards find a way to seek out a split…8-6; 8-3.
LUZERN EAGLES (0-2) VS. EMBRACH MUSTANGS (2-0)
The Mustangs pulled the first shocker of the new season in sweeping the Bern Cardinals last week. Roger Savoldelli and crew will have a bit of an easier test this week as the Eagles come to town. This is an excellent chance for Embrach to start the season a solid 4-0, and wins like these are needed if they have any hopes of the playoffs this year. The Eagles, losers of 29 of their last 30, will try to turn things around after two opening day losses to the Frogs from Sissach. Renee Pluess and Rudy Vargas are back and helping the offense, but will these two new bats prove to be enough to compensate for an overall lack of quality pitching. Stefan Haltmeir threw well last week, and will need to continue his progress to help keep his team in games. Do the Mustangs have a letdown after two emotional wins last week? I don’t see it happening…Embrach goes to 4-0… 8-4; 10-1.
ZURICH BARRACUDAS (0-2) VS. LAUSANNE INDIANS (0-2)
With both teams losing both ends of their double headers last week, someone will get their first win/s of the season. The Indians, whose roster went through a major overhaul this winter, were dismantled by the Flyers last weekend. They were shutout in both games, 20-0, and 5-0. The only positive to come out of it was that import, John Marc Walls looks to be a solid addition, holding a strong Flyer offense to only five runs. The ‘Cudas had game one last week in their pocket. Nderim Coma pitched six solid innings before the bullpen lost the game. Game two starter, American import Derek Bondo didn’t fare so well in his first NLA start. I’m sure this will only motivate the hurler to raise his level for his team. Offensively the Barracudas managed only the five runs from game one, as they were shut out in game two. Who will score enough to win…Barracudas sweep…10-2; 4-2.
SISSACH FROGS (2-0) VS. THERWIL FLYERS (4-0)
The Frogs opened the season with two hard fought wins against the Eagles last week. This week they have the reigning champs to contend with. The Flyers have left little doubt thus far that they are ready to defend their title! They have crossed the plate 54 times, while allowing only 7 runs in their first four games. This trend seems unlikely to continue, but unfortunately for the Frogs, it won’t likely end this weekend. Stefan Koller, Lukas Croton, Hide Ohsima, and Adi Kaufmann form the best Swiss pitching staff in the league. Game two features Chris Blackbee, the Australian import who has dominated in his first two starts this year. Sissach can only hope for an off day from Therwil, as they hope to not get run over like the Flyers first two opponents! Therwil goes to 6-0…12-3; 14-2.
| Time | Home | Visitor | Field | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation! | ||||||
| Saturday, April 24 2010 | ||||||
| 11:00 | Bern Cardinals | Zürich Challengers | Zürich Heerens... |  |
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| 11:00 | Embrach Mustangs | Lucerne Eagles | Embrach PZ Hard | |
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| Sunday, April 25 2010 | ||||||
| 11:00 | Lausanne Indians | Zürich Barracudas | Hünenberg Wart... | |
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| 11:00 | Therwil Flyers | Sissach Frogs | Therwil Känelmatt | |
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Standings
| # | Team | W | L | R+ | R- | .pct | GB | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Therwil Flyers | 20 | 4 | 232 | 103 | .833 | 0 | L2 |
| 2 | Bern Cardinals | 14 | 10 | 177 | 112 | .583 | 6 | W4 |
| 3 | Embrach Mustangs | 13 | 11 | 147 | 122 | .541 | 7 | L5 |
| 4 | Zürich Challengers | 12 | 12 | 179 | 163 | .500 | 8 | W1 |
| 5 | Zürich Barracudas | 12 | 12 | 106 | 131 | .500 | 8 | W1 |
| 6 | Sissach Frogs | 9 | 15 | 122 | 194 | .375 | 11 | W1 |
| 7 | Lucerne Eagles | 4 | 20 | 81 | 219 | .166 | 16 | W1 |
| 8 | Lausanne Indians | 0 | 0 | .000 | 8 |
Photo: © Zurich Challengers
