A matchday packed with lessons that certainly don’t reflect the final verdict of who’s stronger or weaker. Some surprises, though!
This morning, Rouen and Metz went head-to-head. Until the start of the sixth inning, Rouen dominated, with Mckinnon in control and his defense backing him up. On the other side, the Rouen bats found their groove against Shane Priest. Four runs scored. Then came the end of the sixth, with Jérémy Dubois pitching for Rouen. Little by little, the bases loaded, and Axel Hansch stepped up to the plate with two outs, driving in Metz’s first run. A visit to the mound for Rouen, Mathéo Prévost at bat, another walk, and the bases were loaded again. A logical pitcher change: Thibault Mercadier took over with the bases loaded and two strikes. Then came the balk call. Coach Boris Marche had words with the umpire and was ejected by Ludovic Meillier. Metz headed back to Moselle, and Rouen escaped, but the coach won’t be on the bench for tonight’s game against La Rochelle.
Meanwhile, Montigny and Toulouse clashed on the other field. These teams had already faced off, with Toulouse usually coming out on top. But Toulouse looked shaky this time, missing some key starters. Montigny scored four runs in the first and fourth innings. Toulouse couldn’t keep up. Four errors proved costly for Toulouse. With two losses, their Challenge run ends here. They can now refocus on the league.
Montpellier took on the Savigny Lions. Savigny looked weaker than expected, and the Barracudas exuded confidence, already looking like Challenge favorites. The score was tough on Savigny, who gave up four runs right away. Their errors were few, but Montpellier’s 10 hits made the difference. Kevin Canelon was rock-solid, lowering his ERA to 1.11 and securing his team’s spot in the semifinals.
The Templiers faced off against the Buccaneers. La Rochelle’s starting pitcher, Lopez, was off his game and was quickly replaced by Antoine, then De La Rosa. These pitching changes gave Sénart a chance to shine, and they capitalized with 10 hits of their own. Sénart looks like the other favorite and also advances directly to the semifinals. Their pitching depth, with Brelle, Laufenbucler, Meurant, Gras, Hvrytishvili, meets the Challenge de France format’s demands.
Montigny pulled off a monster game against Savigny, with 10 hits and no errors. Early on, in the first inning, they scored four runs, followed by three more innings with two runs each. Savigny fought back but fell short. A home run by Gédéon Coste. Montigny pulled off the upset, knocking out one of the Challenge favorites. They’ll face Sénart tomorrow in the semifinals.
The day’s final match pitted two familiar foes against each other. Right away, the Huskies dominated against La Rochelle. The Boucaniers’ pitching carousel began, and the score reflected Rouen’s offensive resurgence. A home run battle between lefties Lefèvre for Rouen and Lopez for La Rochelle. The game was a showcase of great hitting, with errors not tipping the scale. But the tide clearly favored Rouen, and it was a tough loss for the Boucaniers.
The semifinals are set: Rouen vs. Montpellier and Montigny vs. Sénart. No Toulouse or Savigny—what a surprise. The underdog is Montigny, and they’ll have their hands full with the deep and powerful Sénart team (game at 7 PM). The other matchup between Rouen and Montpellier is more expected and will be tomorrow’s highlight (3 PM game). As usual, Rouen is still in the mix, gaining momentum, but Montpellier is impressively consistent.
Photo credit: ffbs
