The Therwil Flyers have added a new American import in Josh Tamba.

Tamba was a 7th round draft pick out of Cypress College by the Baltimore Orioles in 2006. He spent three years in the Orioles minor league system before turning to Europe to play ball.

In 2012, Tamba pitched in the German Bundesliga with the Cologne Cardinals where he pitched and played middle infield.

On the hill, Tamba pitched in 13 games going 4-7 with a 3.74 ERA. In 79.1 innings, he struck out 110 batters but at times struggled with control. Along with the high strikeout totals were 45 walks and 15 wild pitches.

At the plate Tamba was the Cardinals leading hitter. He posted a line of .379/.468/.579 along with three home runs. He also led the team in runs scored and stolen bases (20).

The Flyers will kick off the regular season on April 7 against the Zurich Lions.

By Marvin Moore

SWITZERLAND – The Therwil Flyers got back on the winning track on Sunday with a pair of wins over the Zurich Challengers in Swiss Baseball League action at Kanelmatt 1 in Therwil. The Challengers’ home games had to be played on the road because the Heerenschürli ballpark is still closed after the July 3 flooding.

Therwil (9-4) routed Zurich 12-3 in the first game behind an 18-hit offensive assault. Chris Blackbee and Stefan Koller banged four hits apiece, and Reto Siegel reached base five times on three hits and two walks to pace last year’s runner-up squad.

Koller (4-1) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks over eight innings to earn the decision. Adrian Kaufmann worked a perfect ninth out of the bullpen to finish off the impressive victory.

Tobias Siegrist, Robert Sedin and Bryan Shemley tallied two hits apiece for the Challengers.

The Flyers completed the sweep with a rain-soaked 3-1 victory in the second encounter as play was stopped after five innings. Blackbee (1-0) picked up the win with five stellar frames on the mound.

Therwil opened the scoring in the first inning when Siegel crossed the plate on an RBI fielder’s choice by Kaufmann. But Zurich pulled even in the second on Harold Bregy’s run-scoring base hit.

The Challengers wasted a golden scoring chance in the third after Sedin led off with a single before swiping two bases. However, Blackbee retired the next three batters to defuse the threat.

The Flyers capitalized on an error and a passed ball in the fourth to take the lead for good. Both squads went down silently in the fifth before the clouds opened and the game was halted prematurely due to heavy rains.

In the lone other matchup slated this past weekend, the Luzern Eagles captured a pair of wins, 15-6 and 15-0, over the last-place Wil Devils.

2012 SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE:

Bern Cardinals (15-1)
Embrach Mustangs (14-3)
Zurich Barracudas (10-5)
Therwil Flyers (9-4)
Zurich Challengers (8-7)
Zurich Lions (3-13)
Luzern Eagles (3-13)
Wil Devils (2-18)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former internationall baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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The 1st Swiss International Alpine Cup in Zurich will take place this year from August 3 to 5. Four teams will compete for the title including the Swiss National Team, an All-Star team from the Swiss Nationalliga A, the British team Southampton Mustangs, and a collegiate team from the US, The International Game. The schedule is as follows.

Schedule:

Friday, August 3
 Swiss National Team – The International Game

Saturday, August 4 
The International Game – Swiss All Stars
Southampton Mustangs – Swiss All Stars
Southampton Mustangs – Swiss National Team

Sunday, August 5
The International Game – Southampton Mustangs
Swiss National Team – Swiss All Stars
Final Game

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SWITZERLAND – The Therwil Flyers used a pair of seven-run frames to roll past the Wil Devils 18-3 Saturday in the front end of a Swiss Baseball League doubleheader. The Flyers finished off the sweep with a 16-0 victory in the second game.

The visitors sent 11 batters to the plate in the second and capitalized on four Wil errors to grab an early 7-0 lead in the twinbill opener. First baseman Takanobu Oshima highlighted the big inning with a three-run double.

The second-place Flyers put together another seven-run outburst in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Seppi Zwyer and Adrian Kaufmann both smacked three-run homers to seal the lopsided win.

Stefan Koller (2-0) scattered three runs and four hits with a walk and five strikeouts over six frames to earn the decision.

Therwil (4-1) pounded out 19 hits to rout the Devils in the second game. Oshima and Reto Siegel both homered and tallied four hits apiece for the defending regular season champion.

Lukas Croton (1-1) worked six shutout frames allowing just three hits to pick up the win. Kaufmann tallied the final three outs to notch his second save of the young season.

The Bern Cardinals (8-0) remained perfect with two victories over the last-place Luzern Eagles. The reigning Swiss title-holder cruised to an 18-1 win in the first encounter before foiling an upset bid with a 10-8 triumph in the second game.

The third-place Embrach Mustangs collected a pair of runaway wins against the offensive-challenged Zurich Lions. Roger Savoldelli (4-1) went the distance in a 17-4 victory to open the twinbill before Tim Jones (3-1) tossed a seven-inning two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in a 12-0 win.

SATURDAY, MAY 19:
Bern Cardinals 18,10 – Luzern Eagles 1,8
Therwil Flyers 18,16 – Wil Devils 3,0

SUNDAY, MAY 20:
Embrach Mustangs 17,12 – Zurich Lions 4,0

2012 SWISS LEAGUE:

1.Bern Cardinals (8-0)
2.Therwil Flyers (4-1)
3.Embrach Mustangs (6-2)
4.Zurich Barracudas (3-2)
5.Wil Devils (2-4)
5.Zurich Challengers (2-4)
7.Luzern Eagles (1-7)
7.Zurich Lions (1-7)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SWITZERLAND – American right-hander Dan Rogers struck out 13 in a dominant complete game effort and the Zurich Barracudas dealt the Therwil Flyers a 6-1 setback Sunday in a Swiss Baseball League encounter at Kanelmatt 1 in Therwil.

Rogers (2-0), who limited the Flyers to just five hits and three walks, also went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to raise his batting average to .476.

The Zurich Challengers picked up two wins over the Wil Devils. Tobias Siegrist homered and drove home six runs, and American import Robert Sedin went 5-for-5 with five RBIs as both squads combined for a whopping 31 hits.

Siegrist (1-0) worked six solid frames and Sedin picked up his first save to lead the Challengers to a 6-3 victory in the twin bill finale.

The Bern Cardinals (6-0) extended its season-opening winning streak to six games with a sweep over the Embrach Mustangs, while the Luzern Eagles and Zurich Lions settled for a split.

2012 SWISS LEAGUE:

Bern Cardinals (6-0)
Embrach Mustangs (4-2)
Therwil Flyers (2-1)
Zurich Barracudas (3-2)
Wil Devils (2-2)
Zurich Challengers (2-4)
Luzern Eagles (1-5)
Zurich Lions (1-5)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SWITZERLAND – The Bern Cardinals and the Embrach Mustangs continue to pace the Swiss Baseball League with impressive twinbill sweeps last weekend to remain unbeaten on the young season.

Bern (4-0) travelled to Zurich on Sunday and netted two victories over the Barracudas, while Embrach (4-0) dealt the Zurich Lions a pair on the same day.

The Therwil Flyers and Wil Devils both opened its respective 2012 campaigns with doubleheader sweeps a day earlier.
Therwil (2-0) knocked off the Zurich Challengers at home in two low-scoring affairs, and Wil (2-0) plated a combined 30 scores en route to a pair of wins against the Zurich Lions.

SATURDAY, APRIL 28:
Therwil Flyers 6,5 – Zurich Challengers 3,3
Wil Devils 13,17 – Zurich Lions 8,13

SUNDAY, APRIL 29:
Embrach Mustangs 10,7 – Lucerne Eagles 0,3
Bern Cardinals 8,9 – Zurich Barracudas – 5,3

2012 SWISS LEAGUE:

Bern Cardinals (4-0)
Embrach Mustangs (4-0)
Therwil Flyers (2-0)
Wil Devils (2-0)
Zurich Barracudas (2-2)
Luzern Eagles (0-4)
Zurich Lions (0-4)
Zurich Challengers (0-4)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SWITZERLAND – The Bern Cardinals opened defense of its Swiss Baseball League title with a pair of lopsided victories over the Zurich Lions last Saturday at the Herrenschurli Ballpark in Zurich.

National team right-hander Tobias Imboden (1-0) scattered two runs over five innings to help Bern tally a 14-2 win in the season opening contest.

The Cards took a quick lead in the first on a two-run single off the bat of Johnny Perigos, but Zurich answered back in the bottom of the frame to make it a one-run game. Both squads crossed the plate in the fourth before Bern scored 10 times in the seventh and eighth innings to seal the outcome.

The pitching tandem of Benji Waite (1-0) and John Baum combined on a no-hitter as the reigning Swiss champion rolled to a 37-0 win in the twinbill finale.

Baum paced a marathon 23-run sixth with a single, two doubles and six RBIs.

EMBRACH SWEEPS CHALLENGERS
The Embrach Mustangs picked up an Opening Day sweep against the Zurich Challengers on a wet and cold Swiss afternoon.

The Mustangs tagged Zurich starter Andrea Girasole for three first inning scores and veteran righty Roger Savoldelli (1-0) went the distance in a 6-4 victory.

Embrach blanked Zurich 3-0 in the second game as American Tim Jones (1-0) struck out 11 over eight dominant frames. Reliever Korey Kovac collected the final three outs to earn a save.

2012 SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE:

Bern Cardinals (2-0)
Embrach Mustangs (2-0)
Zurich Barracudas (2-0)
Therwil Flyers (0-0)
Wil Devils (0-0)
Luzern Eagles (0-2)
Zurich Challengers (0-2)
Zurich Lions (0-2)

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SWITZERLAND – The reigning Swiss champion Bern Cardinals have added a pair of Americans, P/INF Benji Waite and P/OF Ryan Byrne, for the 2012 season.

Waite attended the University of Alabama Birmingham and suited up for the German League club Gauting Indians a year ago. The versatile left-handed hitter and right-handed hurler is expected to make key contributions with the lumber and on the hill.

Byrne, who has both an American and Swiss passport, will bolster the seven-time Swiss champion Game 1 pitching rotation. He is a former member of the U.S. Jr. College national champion, San Jacinto College (Texas).

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former int’l baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball to underpriviliged Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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The Baltimore Orioles have signed Taiwanese southpaw Wei-Yin Chen to a three-year contract. The former Chunichi Dragons hurler will join former Softbank Hawks ace Tsuyoshi Wada in the Orioles starting rotation in 2012.

Chen posted an 8-10 record in 24 starts last year, with a 2.68 ERA. The 26-year-old has a 36-30 record with a 2.59 lifetime ERA in five seasons with the Japanese League club.

Amazingly, he is the fourth member from the Kao-Yuan High School Class of 2003 to join a MLB organization. Ching-Lung Lo (Rockies), Chi-Hung Cheng (Blue Jays), and Kuo-Hui Lo (Mariners) are also pursuing big league dreams.

SWISS STANDOUT EARNS UNDER ARMOR INVITE
Oakland Christian School (Auburn Hills, MI) standout Rafael Eigenmann has been invited to participate in the 2012 Under Armor Pre-Season All-America Tournament. The event will be played from January 13-15 at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona.

The 17-year-old catcher and corner infielder, who is also a member of the Swiss U18 national team, has also competed in his native country with the Therwil Flyers Baseball and Softball Club.

PERTH OUTCLASSING ABL FOES
The Perth Heat continue to lord over the Australian Baseball League and has already wrapped up the top seed for the upcoming playoffs. The Heat, which has broken last year’s mark for most wins, leads the circuit in batting average, runs scored, home runs, and ERA.

The Melbourne Aces and the Canberra Cavalry are also eyeing a title run. Justin Huber leads the Aces with a .373 batting mark and six homers, while shortstop Kody Hightower has caught fire and is batting .383 with four dingers for the Cavalry.

ASIAN PROSPECTS FACE MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS
Taiwanese minor leaguers RHP Yao-Lin Wang (Cubs) and INF/OF Fu-Lin Kuo (Yankees) might have to serve in Taiwan’s military due to incorrect advice from their agents. Both prospects were instructed to drop out of college but without their student status, both will be required to serve in the military if summoned.

DUTCH BASEBALL UNIFORMS STOLEN
Car thieves in Holland stole a vehicle recently which also contained the official baseball uniforms of the Dutch National Team. The Netherlands, which won last year’s IBAF Baseball World Cup, opened their first training of the new year this past Wednesday.

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer and former baseball coach. He currently teaches baseball and English at the Future Stars Baseball School in Bohol, Philippines.

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SWITZERLAND – Veteran left-handed hitters Stefan Koller and Reto Siegel both homered during a pivotal nine-run eighth inning as the Therwil Flyers opened the 2011 Swiss Finals with a 15-5 victory Saturday over the Bern Cardinals at Kanelmatt 1 in Therwil.

Koller (1-0) went 3-for-5, stole a base, crossed the plate twice, and chased Bern starter Tobias Imboden in the game-deciding frame with a two-run blast. The right-hander allowed a run in two relief frames to notch his second win of the postseason.

Therwil raced out to a quick 2-0 lead in the opening frame on a two-run blast off the bat of American player/coach JB Tucker. But the reigning Swiss champion, making its seventh consecutive appearance in the title series, came charging back in the third.

Vitus Huber’s two-run double knotted the score before American John Baum followed with another two-bagger to give the Cardinals a 3-2 advantage. Johnny Perigos capped the frame with an RBI single.

The Flyers pulled even in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Sebastian “Seppi” Zwyer, and went back on top, 6-4, in the seventh on Daniel Eichenberger’s two-run single.

Bern made it a one-run affair in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Eduardo Villacis, but Therwil blew the game open in the bottom of the same frame as the first 10 batters reached base en route to the lopsided series-opening victory.

Siegel hit a three-run shot while Tucker drove in three scores for a squad that had six players tally two or more RBIs.

The Cardinals raced out to a 9-0 lead en route to a convincing 11-3 win over the Flyers in Game 2 as Eduardo Villacis (1-0) scattered a run and four hits in six innings.

Koller put together another productive game going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Bern has won the Swiss national championship (2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010) five of the past six years.

SERIES-AT-A-GLANCE
Game 1 – Therwil Flyers 15, Bern Cardinals 5
Game 2 – Bern Cardinals 11, Therwil Flyers 3
Game 3 – Therwil Flyers at Bern Cardinals
Game 4 – Therwil Flyers at Bern Cardinals
Game 5 – Bern Cardinals at Therwil Flyers*

(Series tied at 1-1)

* If necessary

Marvin Moore is a freelance international baseball writer who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to poverty-stricken Filipino boys at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND –  The Therwil Flyers and Bern Cardinals will square off with one another in the championship of the Swiss Nationalliga A. Both teams earned victories on Saturday to sweep their respective semi-final matches and advance to the championship round.

Therwil Flyers 10, Zurich Barracudas 7
Therwil Flyers 8, Zurich Barracudas 4
Therwil Flyers 9, Zurich Barracudas 3

In Game 3 of their semi-final match, the Flyers scored a 9-3 victory. Lukas Croton went 5 innings allowing only a walk and striking out 5 to earn the victory for Therwil. Center fielder Reto Siegel led the way offensively going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and 2 doubles.  Takanobu Oshima chipped in 3 RBI going 2-for-3.

The Flyers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 5 innings, but Zurich would battle back with 3 runs of its own in the 6th. However, that would be all they would get and Therwil would tack on 4 more runs to win going away.

Bern Cardinals 11, Embrach Mustangs 8
Bern Cardinals 18, Embrach Mustangs 4
Bern Cardinals 6, Embrach Mustangs 2

The Bern Cardinals advanced to the finals with a 6-2 victory in Game 3 of their semi-final match with the Embrach Mustangs. Tobias Imboden went the distance for Bern allowing 2 runs on 9 hits while striking out 7. The offense was carried by Johnny Perigo Mejias who hit 2 bombs driving in all 6 runs. In the bottom of the 1st, Mejias hit a 2-run home run to put Bern on the board. After the Mustangs had cut the lead to 2-1, Mejias once again came up big. This time he hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 6th to put the game away. He finished 2-for-4 with 6 RBI.

Bern looks to defend its title from 2010. They have won 5 of the last 6 titles dating back to 2005.

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SWITZERLAND – The Therwil Flyers wrapped up their third consecutive Swiss Baseball League regular season title with a high-scoring 14-10 win over the Embrach Mustangs last Saturday at Kanelmatt 1 in Therwil.

Therwil (26-2), seeking their second national championship in three years, will open the postseason this weekend as a heavy favorite to dethrone the Bern Cardinals. Third-place Embrach (17-11) also booked a ticket to the playoffs.

Bern (21-7), Switzerland’s most decorated club over the past six years, were upset twice (16-10 and 7-6) by the Zurich Barracudas (14-13). However, both squads advanced to the playoffs as the second and fourth seeds, respectively.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE
1. Therwil Flyers (26-2)
2. Bern Cardinals (21-7)
3. Embrach Mustangs (17-11)
4. Zurich Barracudas (14-13)
5. Luzern Eagles (12-16)
6. Sissach Frogs (11-17)
7. Zurich Challengers (9-17)
8. Zurich Lions (0-27)

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SWITZERLAND – The Zurich Barracudas clinched the final playoff spot with a 7-0 win over their crosstown rival Zurich Challengers this past Tuesday night in a Swiss Baseball League matchup at the Heerenschurli ballpark in Zurich.

The Barracudas opened the scoring in the first with three scores courtesy of an inside-the-park home run. It would prove to be more than enough for American import Kody Hightower, who tossed nine magnificent innings.

Hightower also went 4-for-4 at the plate with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs. Nderim Coma sealed the deal with a two-run shot over the center field wall in the fifth to end the scoring.

Tobias Siegrist delivered two hits for the Challengers, while Yanik Probst and Adrian Kämpfer had one hit apiece.

THERWIL FLYERS SWEEPS LUZERN EAGLES
The Therwil Flyers continued their winning ways with a doubleheader sweep over the Luzern Eagles last Sunday in the Swiss Baseball League. With the wins, the red-hot Flyers have won 25 of 27 games, including a 10-game winning streak.

The first game was a one-sided affair as Therwil captured a 12-6 win. Flyers starting pitcher Lukas Croton overmatched the Eagles’ hitters giving up two unearned runs in four innings of work, while striking out five.

Reto Siegel, who went 3-for-4, ignited the Flyers with a two-run blast in the first as Therwil scored early and often en route to the victory.

The second game was another lopsided contest as the Flyers routed the Eagles, 16-1. Ianis Boutaloup drilled a two-run shot in the second while Sebastian Zwyer and Stefan Koller both added three hits apiece for Therwil.

In other action last weekend, the Zurich Barracudas pounded the Sissach Frogs, 15-3.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE
1. Therwil Flyers (25-2)
2. Bern Cardinals (21-5)
3. Embrach Mustangs (17-10)
4. Zurich Barracudas (12-13)
5. Luzern Eagles (10-16)
6. Sissach Frogs (11-17)
7. Zurich Challengers (9-15)
8. Zurich Lions (0-27)

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SWITZERLAND – The Therwil Flyers continued their quest for a second national title with a doubleheader sweep against the Zurich Challengers Saturday in the Swiss Baseball League.

Therwil (21-2) rolled to a blowout 12-1 victory in the first game as Lukas Croton (pictured) and Stefan Koller combined to silence the Challengers’ batting lineup. American playing coach JB Tucker’s squad notched its sixth consecutive win with an 8-2 triumph over Zurich (9-13) in the second affair.

The Embrach Mustangs (17-10) snapped the 10-game winning streak of the Bern Cardinals with a 4-3 decision in the front end of a doubleheader on Sunday. Bern (19-5) got back on the winning track in the second contest, 6-1.

On Saturday, the Sissach Frogs (11-16) and Luzern Eagles (9-14) also settled for a twinbill split.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE
1. Therwil Flyers (21-2)
2. Bern Cardinals (19-5)
3. Embrach Mustangs (17-10)
4. Zurich Barracudas (11-12)
5. Zurich Challengers (9-13)
6. Sissach Frogs (11-16)
7. Luzern Eagles (9-14)
8. Zurich Lions (0-25)

Marvin Moore is a freelance international baseball writer who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to Filipino Kids at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND – The Embrach Rainbows captured a pair of narrow road wins against the Sissach Frogs last Saturday to tighten its grip on third-place in the Swiss League.

The Rainbows (16-9) escaped with a 12-11 decision in the first game of a doubleheader before finishing off the hotly-contested sweep with a slim 6-5 win in the twinbill finale. With the losses, the Frogs (10-15) fell 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Zurich Challengers (9-11) for the final playoff spot.

Wet weather conditions forced the postponement of scheduled matchups between the Challengers and the Luzern Eagles, and the Bern Cardinals and Zurich Barracudas.

SWISS LEAGUE STANDINGS
1. Therwil Flyers (19-2)
2. Bern Cardinals (18-4)
3. Embrach Mustangs (16-9)
4. Zurich Challengers (9-11)
5. Zurich Barracudas (9-12)
6. Sissach Frogs (10-15)
7. Luzern Eagles (8-13)
8. Zurich Lions (0-23)

Marvin Moore is a freelance international baseball writer who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to Filipino Kids at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND – The Zurich Barracudas remained in the playoff hunt with a 4-3 win over the Embrach Mustangs Saturday in the back end of a Swiss Baseball League doubleheader.

The Barracudas (9-12) rebounded from a narrow 6-5 loss in the first game to salvage a twinbill split and stay in contention for the final playoff spot. The Zurich Challengers (9-11), Sissach Frogs (10-13) and the Luzern Eagles (8-13) are also vying for the last postseason berth.

The third-place Mustangs (14-9) have all but wrapped up a playoff spot as has the Therwil Flyers (19-2) and the Bern Cardinals (18-4). The Flyers and Eagles were rained out on Sunday, as well as the matchup pitting the Cardinals against the Challengers.

SWISS LEAGUE STANDINGS
1. Therwil Flyers (19-2)
2. Bern Cardinals (18-4)
3. Embrach Mustangs (14-9)
4. Zurich Challengers (9-11)
5. Sissach Frogs (10-13)
6. Zurich Barracudas (9-12)
7. Luzern Eagles (8-13)
8. Zurich Lions (0-23)

Marvin Moore is a freelance international baseball writer who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to Filipino Kids at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND – The Bern Cardinals continued their late season surge with a pair of victories over the Luzern Eagles Sunday in the Swiss League.

Bern (18-4), which has put together a 10-game winning streak, rolled to a 10-1 win in the first game. The Cardinals struggled but prevailed in the twinbill finale, 5-3.

The league-leading Therwil Flyers (19-2) knocked off the Embrach Rainbows 2-1 in a low-scoring affair. The second game was cancelled due to rain.

Hide Oshima worked five innings of one-run ball to notch the win, while veteran righty Stefan Koller threw a trio of scoreless relief frames before closer Adrian Kaufmann tallied the final three outs to preserve the win.

In the lone other matchup on the slate, the Sissach Frogs stopped the winless Zurich Lions 10-5.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance international baseball writer who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to Filipino Kids at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND – The Therwil Flyers and the Bern Cardinals remained on a collision course in the Swiss League with a pair of doubleheader sweeps last weekend.

The league-leading Flyers (18-2) disposed of the Sissach Frogs (9-13) to stay two games ahead of the red-hot Cardinals. Adrian Kaufmann and Emanuel Raouzeos combined for seven hits as Therwil rolled to a 21-11 victory in the first game.

The twinbill finale was a much closer affair as Therwil avoided the upset with a 4-2 decision. Sissach starter Gary Kahn limited the high-scoring Therwil offense to just three scores over five frames to keep things interesting. However, Therwil’S promising young right-hander Lukas Croton worked four innings of one-run ball to deny the Frogs their second triumph over the Flyers this season.

The Cardinals (16-4) extended their winning streak to eight games with a pair of stellar pitching performances against the winless Zurich Lions (0-23).

Tobias Imboden tossed a one-hitter as the reigning Swiss champion pounded the Lions 22-0 in the first game, and American John Baum threw a perfect game in the second contest as Bern captured a 5-0 victory.

In the lone other matchup last weekend, the Embrach Rainbows (13-7) regrouped after a 7-6 loss to the Luzern Eagles to salvage a doubleheader split with a 7-0 victory.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-BaseballContent who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to Filipino Kids at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND – The Swiss League frontrunner Therwil Flyers scored two late runs, including a walk-off single by veteran outfielder Reto Siegel, to earn a 4-3 win Sunday over the Zurich Challengers to salvage a doubleheader split.

Therwil (16-2) loaded the sacks in the opening frame, but managed to tally just a lone score. The Flyers stretched their lead in the third after Chris Blackbee led off with a double and scored on a two-out error.

Zurich (9-10) closed the gap an inning later on an RBI hit off the bat of Thomas Blank, and pulled ahead in the fifth on a two-run shot by Saentis Zeller.

The Flyers, which dropped a 4-3 decision in the first game, knotted the score in the seventh on a costly throwing error to set the stage for Siegel’s late heroics.

In other Swiss baseball action last weekend, the Bern Cardinals climbed into second-place with a pair of convincing wins, 11-2 and 13-2, Saturday over the Embrach Mustangs (12-6). The Cards (14-4) are the reigning national champions and are riding a six-game winning streak.

The Luzern Eagles (7-10) kept its faint playoff hopes alive with an 8-4 triumph over the Sissach Frogs in the front end of a doubleheader on Sunday. However, the fifth-place Frogs (9-11) rolled to a lopsided 24-6 win in the second game.

The Zurich Barracudas pounded the winless Zurich Lions 14-4 in a battle of cellar-dwelling squads. The Barracudas improved to 6-10 while the Lions have lost 20 consecutive games.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-BaseballContent who coached in Europe for six years. He currently teaches baseball to Filipino Kids at the Future Stars Baseball School.

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SWITZERLAND – The Sissach Frogs rebounded from a shutout loss in the opening game of a Swiss League doubleheader to snap the Therwil Flyers 15-game winning streak with a narrow 5-4 victory Sunday in Sissach.

The Flyers (15-1), which took the first game by a 5-0 margin, were led by a pair of long balls off the bat of American slugger JB Tucker. Sissach (8-10) currently occupies the final playoff spot.

The reigning Swiss champion Bern Cardinals (12-4) won both games (6-2 and 10-0) against the winless Zurich Lions (0-19), and the Embrach Mustangs (12-4) knocked off the Luzern Eagles (6-9) twice, 7-3 and 15-5.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-baseballcontent.com

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SWITZERLAND – The Zurich Challengers rebounded from a 6-4 loss to the Sissach Frogs Saturday with a 7-2 victory in the second game to salvage a doubleheader split in the Swiss Baseball league.

Tobias Siegrist recorded his third win of the season, as he allowed four runs and six hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven strong innings, while Thomas Burger earned his first save of the year.

Carlos Pena reached base four times and scored twice, while Saentis Zeller delivered a triple.

The fourth-place Challengers (7-8) have a slim one-game lead over the Frogs (7-9) for the final playoff spot.

The Embrach Mustangs (10-4) routed the winless Zurich Lions (0-17) twice to move into a tie for second-place with the Bern Cardinals (10-4), and the Zurich Barracudas (4-9) limited the Luzern Eagles (6-7) to just three scores en route to a twinbill sweep.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE RESULTS

Saturday, June 4th
Sissach Frogs 6,2 – Zurich Challengers 4,7
Embrach Mustangs 15,10 – Zurich Lions 4,5

Sunday, June 5th
Zurich Barracudas 6,7 – Luzern Eagles 1,2

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-baseballcontent.com

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SWITZERLAND – Chris Blackbee doubled and homered to help the unbeaten Therwil Flyers turn back the upset-minded Zurich Barracudas 13-7 Saturday in the first part of a Swiss League doubleheader.

The Flyers opened the contest with three first-inning scores and built a five-run cushion before the Barracudas (2-9) capitalized on several defensive miscues to close the gap to 5-4. Both squads exchanged scores until Therwil erupted for six runs in the ninth to seal the win.

Adrian Kaufmann, who went 2-for-4 at the plate, worked two scoreless relief frames to notch the win.

Therwil (14-0) completed the sweep with a 7-4 triumph in the second game. Michel La Torre tallied a trio of singles and Ianis Boutaloup went 2-for-3 with a walk and double.

Saturday, May 21
Therwil Flyers 13,7 – Zurich Barracudas 7,4*

Sunday, May 22
Bern Cardinals 11,16 – Sissach Frogs 7,2*
Luzern Eagles 11,16 – Zurich Lions 3,1*

* Doubleheader Sweep

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-BaseballContent.com

Follow Baseball de World on Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to join our Newsletter.

SWITZERLAND – The unbeaten Therwil Flyers nabbed a pair of one-run wins against the Bern Cardinals last Sunday to extend its winning streak in the Swiss League to 12 games.

Daniel Eichenberger went 3-for-4 Reto Siegel’s go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth proved to be the difference as the Flyers grabbed a 4-3 decision in the first game. Taka Oshima added a solo homer for the Flyers.

Eichenberger drilled a clutch three-run long ball in the second affair as Therwil prevailed 4-3 over the reigning Swiss champion. Relievers Hide Oshima and JB Tucker tallied the final six outs to seal the win.

Saturday, May 14th
Luzern Eagles 7 – Zurich Barracudas 6
Embrach Mustangs 9,4 – Zurich Challengers 4,8

Sunday, May 15th
Therwil Flyers 4,4 – Bern Cardinals 3,3*
Sissach Frogs 9,13 – Zurich Lions 5,2*

* Doubleheader Sweep

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-BaseballContent.com

Follow Baseball de World on Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to join our Newsletter.

SWITZERLAND – Lukas Croton worked five strong innings and JB Tucker homered and scored four runs to help the Therwil Flyers whip the Bern Cardinals, 10-3, Sunday in the first game of a Swiss League doubleheader at the Heerenschürli Ballpark in Zurich.

Croton, a 20-year-old righty who is 16-3 with five saves in four seasons, delivered a masterful outing against one of the league’s top offensive lineups. The Cardinals, which batted .310 as a unit last year, managed just two hits off the emerging staff ace.

The Flyers tagged Bern starter Tobias Imboden for a score in the opening frame. Tucker reached on a fielder’s choice before Daniel Eichenberger drilled a two-out RBI double to the gap in left center.

The Cardinals pulled even in the fourth thanks to a costly error. American John Baum found himself on second with one out on a defensive miscue by second baseman Adrian Kaufmann, and moved up one base on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Seth Suplin. Raphael Hanzi followed with a single to knot the game at 1-1.

Therwil took back the lead in the sixth on run-scoring singles by Stefan Koller and Chris Blackbee, and the duo sparked a four-run eighth with an RBI base hit and two-run double, respectively.

Tucker, a 28-year-old slugging catcher who batted .476 with five home runs last season, pushed the lead to 9-1 with a two-run bomb in the ninth. Eichenberger raced home on a wild pitch to give the visitors a nine-run cushion.

Bern parlayed a hit, error and two RBI groundouts into a pair of runs to finish off the scoring.

Croton (1-0) fanned three and walked none while limiting the Cardinals to a lone unearned run in five innings. Koller racked up four strikeouts over three scoreless relief frames before giving way to Kaufmann.

Imboden (0-1) suffered the Opening Day setback after giving up 10 runs and 13 hits in a complete game effort.

Eichenberger and Takanobu Oshima paced the Flyers with three hits apiece.

Therwil completed the twinbill sweep with a 9-6 triumph in the second encounter. Leadoff man Reto Siegel went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, while Tucker drove in four runs with a double and a pair of singles.

Aussie right-hander Chris Blackbee (1-0) threw one-run ball over two relief innings to notch the win. Tucker tallied the final three outs to earn his first save of the young season.

ZURICH CHALLENGERS 6, ZURICH LIONS 3

Tobias Siegrist (1-0) struck out eight over five innings and the Zurich Challengers opened the 2011 Swiss League season with a hard-fought victory over the scrappy Zurich Lions.

Siegrist (1-0) scattered three runs (one earned) on a trio of hits and eight strikeouts. The right-hander, who went 5-3 with a 2.74 ERA, also issued three walks to the Lions who were making a return to Switzerland’s highest league after nine seasons.

Yanik Probst worked a 1-2-3 ninth to tally his first career save.

SWISS BASEBALL LEAGUE

Marvin Moore is a freelance writer at i-BaseballContent.com

Follow Baseball de World on Twitter or Facebook and don’t forget to join our Newsletter.