CE Recap Day 2

Rouen advances, Montpellier struggles

What a blast that ball was… High in the Rouen sky, far behind the fence. It was the 5th inning of the Tenerife-Montpellier match, and former Twins organization player Yancarlo Franco launched the ball deep into left field, giving the Spanish side a 5-0 lead. Rarely have we seen Canelon so troubled. The Barracudas did try to mount a comeback in their next at-bat, scoring two runs, but the rest would be very difficult, especially a complicated 7th inning, with 2 errors and 5 hits for 5 more runs. That was the end of Montpellier’s chances as they fell 4-12 to the powerful Marlins, who racked up no less than 15 hits in the game.

First lesson: Tenerife is a team to watch. While the Marlins seemed hesitant yesterday, they showed their strength today. They are now strong favorites for the rest of the tournament.

Second lesson: the choice of Canelon as the starting pitcher for this non-decisive match. Wasn’t it a risky bet to use his ace under these conditions? The bet was lost, as the Venezuelan was excellent in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings but was shaken in the 1st and 5th, and his team lost. Let’s hope this won’t be too crippling for the rest of the tournament.

Third lesson: nothing is decided in this group. If Montpellier beats Therwil at 10 AM and we have no doubt that will happen, the Barracudas will have to wait for the result of Karlovac-Tenerife (1:30 PM), as a Croatian victory would lead to a three-way tie and a tiebreaker that could be complicated due to today’s score. If the Barracudas lose, they will be at the mercy of a Karlovac victory, which would eliminate them, or a Tenerife victory, which would lead to a three-way tie between Karlovac, Therwil, and Montpellier. In short, there will be plenty at stake tomorrow.

In the first match of the day, we witnessed the show of the best Croatian player Antonio Horvatic, who pitched 9 innings and struck out 10, hit two for five while producing a decisive run in the 9th inning when the Flyers were threatening, and who never stopped arguing, discussing, negotiating, contesting, in short, who took up a lot of space but was the heart and soul of his team.

The Huskies, for their part, secured their spot in the semifinals with a solid game against Vienna. 13 hits, and above all three resounding ones: a two-run home run by Dagneau in the first inning, very far into left field. Then in the third, it was the turn of the Huskies’ killer B’s to join the party. Back-to-back for Blondel and Brainville. The Huskies also showed their muscles. Quentin Moulin was effective on the mound. After giving up a home run to the first batter of the game, Moritz Hackl (who would hit another in the 9th), he shut the door on the Métrostars’ offense. The young pitcher’s tally: 6IP, 1 earned run, 3 hits, 3BB, 7K. Arthur Magnien, in relief, sealed the save with 3 innings, 3 runs, and 5K.
Rouen will face Hoboken tomorrow at 5 PM for a match with no major stakes, as both teams are already qualified. But it’s always good to stay in a positive atmosphere, and Rouen will certainly do their best to secure first place in their group.