The top two teams in their pools battle it out in the Division 1 final. They split their weekend series, staying true to this season’s dramatic theme, leaving us on the edge of our seats. On September 16th and 17th, they’ll clash in Montpellier to crown the 2023 French Champion.
Analysis of the first two matchups:
In the first game, two strong pitching staffs faced off. Unusually for Montpellier, their ace Kevin Canelon came in as a reliever for Ben Couvreur (a young French prospect), who was himself relieved by Frenchman Fabien Kovacs. For Montigny, the lineup was more conventional, with Robinson Maestre relieved by Frenchman Kyoshi Grisot, who was then relieved by Do Carmo.
The strikeouts (13 to 7) and hits (10 to 4) made the difference for Montpellier, who logically won 4-3. Notably, Montpellier’s first baseman Anderson had a stellar performance, going 3 for 4.
Clearly, the Montigny bats were silent in this first game. It’s worth noting that Yorfrank Lopez did not play.
In the second match, as usual, Lopez carried the load for Montigny, while Daniel Gosselin underperformed compared to his semifinal outing against Toulouse. He was even relieved by his coach Owen Ozanich, who, like his mentor Keino Perez, stepped up in the clutch for the final innings.
Montpellier’s hits were rarer against Lopez, and as usual, when their ‘boss’ is on the mound, Montigny finds a way to score. It made sense that Montigny won this second game despite an equal number of hits on both sides (8). Trailing 3-0, it’s worth noting that Montpellier’s two runs came in the 9th inning. This could be due to Montigny’s overconfidence, Lopez’s fatigue, or Montpellier’s resurgence, boosted by their coach’s energy in the previous half-inning. It’s likely a mix of all three.
Key Takeaways:
- The two teams are extremely close in skill level, making it unlikely we’ll see a blowout in favor of either side.
- We might see similar pitcher matchups in the third and fourth games, naturally leading to a fifth and final game filled with suspense for us spectators.
- Montpellier will have the home-field advantage and crowd support. The two fields are vastly different. Montigny plays on synthetic turf, while Verasy features red and white clay (the ball bounces completely differently).
- Montigny’s resilience is unmatched: their French Challenge final and semifinal against Sénart are two very telling examples.
Let’s hear from both coaches on their thoughts ahead of this crucial weekend.
Jose de Araujo:
These were two very intense games against Montpellier. In the first, our team was passive for the first seven innings. Then, there was a brief rebellion that allowed us to score three runs, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and making Montpellier sweat, but it wasn’t enough. In the second game, we were more in control, even though we would have liked to break the ice earlier. We led 3-0. We got a bit nervous in the last inning but held our ground and finished with a 3-2 win. We know it’s going to be tough in Montpellier, but we’re ready for anything, even going to a fifth game if necessary. Go Cougars!
Owen Ozanich:
Two very good baseball games; real pitcher’s duels. We can play better, that’s for sure. Now we need to raise our game when it counts most.
Live on Baseball TV France: App and Website here
Saturday, September 16th: 3 PM
Sunday, September 17th: 11 AM and 2:30 PM if necessary
