Three competitions: Women’s Softball (Challenge de France), Baseball Division 1 and 2. Let’s break down the results together.
Softball
The Pharaohs of Evry Courcouronnes win their second Challenge de France at home and secure their spot in next year’s European Cup. In the final against the Comanches of Saint Raphael, they pull ahead by a single point with just one more hit. In the third-place match, the Grenoble side walks away with bronze. A disappointing result after their victory in this same competition last year.
The competition was fiercely contested, with Nice and Paris also picking up wins. Only Evry remained undefeated throughout. Just like in baseball, it wasn’t the favorite (the Grizzlys, leading the championship) who took the title this year, but let’s not forget they won the championship last year. We’ll revisit this victory with interviews later this week.
Division 2
The showdown between Béziers and Clermont took place, and it was Clermont who emerged victorious. The first match was a beauty, with an incredibly tight contest throughout. It wasn’t until the very end that the Béziers side buckled under the pressure by a single point. Aided by their disappointment, they couldn’t hold on in the second match, allowing Clermont to take the lead in the championship.
Valenciennes had an easier time against Guerche de Bretagne. Valenciennes now leads their Pool B, just as Clermont does in Pool A. Rouen and Sénart can still challenge Valenciennes in Pool A. In Pool B, Clermont looks firmly in control and, barring a major slip-up, should finish top of their pool.
At the bottom of the table, Guerche, in their first year of promotion, are struggling, and Anglet, in their second year, is also facing similar difficulties in the other pool.
Division 1
Makeup game: Montpellier hosted Savigny. Both teams split their matches, with the winner taking each by a three-point margin. In the Challenge de France, the Montpellier side had dominated the Lions. This time, Savigny has strengthened their squad, a good sign ahead of the European Cup in July. Meanwhile, this team has the fewest matches under their belt and can still challenge Sénart, who currently leads Pool A. This pool is set to deliver a three-way battle to determine the two teams that will advance to the playoffs.
Another makeup game saw Montigny, recent Challenge de France champions, host the Boucaniers de la Rochelle. The first match went to the Rochelais, who capitalized on the euphoria that caused the Cougars to let their guard down. The Cougars bounced back to split the series and stay within striking distance of Rouen in the Pool A standings.
