Playoff and play-down season is underway. Eight of the twenty potential matches were played over two days (Saturday and Sunday). Apart from Rouen in the play-downs, who secured both of their first away matches, all other teams split victories and defeats. Let’s analyze these results that promise more suspense ahead.
Heat, player absences, unavailability, travel across the Atlantic, and injuries were the story of every match. Each team faced their share of difficulties, especially those who hadn’t competed in weeks.
Playoffs
Stade Toulousain: A Southern showdown. Toulouse capitalized on Montpellier’s ace Kevin Canelon’s early exit in the first match. Missing key players like Doat, Nayral, Pontiac, and Guiraud, the Barracudas couldn’t contain the repeated hits from Soriano and Mendoza. In the second match, Daniel Gosselin shut down Toulouse’s bats, while Paolo Brossier hit a stunning three-run home run.
Yanael Delphech, Toulouse President: « Saturday brought huge satisfaction with that crucial first win. The game turned in the 4th inning when Canelon left with the score tied 2-2. Our sluggers welcomed young Couvreur with back-to-back hits from Soriano and Mendoza, quickly changing the score to 6-2. We hoped to confirm today, but left-handed Canadian pitcher Gausselin had a strong game, and we couldn’t regain the advantage. We’ll use the next two weeks to train hard before facing Veyrassi. I believe it’ll be a fierce battle, and the most tenacious team will advance. »
Owen Ozanich, Barracudas Coach: « Happy to bring home a win! Now we’ll work hard over the next two weeks. Very proud of Daniel (Gosselin), who delivered his best performance of the year. »
Up north, it was the Paris derby. An unbelievable scenario concluded the first match. With the bases loaded, ace Yorfranck Lopez walked in the winning run for Sénart. That walk-off was frustrating, giving Sénart an easy victory. The second match was different. The Cougars’ bats exploded against Sénart’s defense, with a decisive score. Missing key player Meurants, Sénart’s pitching struggled.
Jose de Araujo, Montigny Coach: « Disappointed with the first match, as I believe we could’ve won. At this level, the slightest error is costly. We took comfort in the second match, quickly gaining the upper hand and maintaining our lead despite some brilliant moments from our opponents. Now we have 15 days to fine-tune our game for the second leg of the semifinals at home and give our supporters a great show. »
Play-downs
Rouen traveled to Metz. Under pressure, Metz knew their season was on the line. Rouen had no choice but to secure these wins to ease the pain of a difficult year and focus on next season.
David Ten-Eyck, Cometz President: « In some phases of the game, we felt the consequences of six weeks without a match. We knew it would be a tough weekend, especially with Armani Henderson’s injury, ending his season. We were cautious with Shane and Kenjiro’s pitch counts, fielding a very young team with seven 18U players. Under these conditions, I’m proud of what our players showed, despite the two defeats. Now we must double our efforts in training and build momentum to secure our spot. »
Pierre Yves Roland, Huskies President: « Our goal this year wasn’t to win the play-downs. We take each match as it comes while preparing for next season. We’re satisfied with this double victory, setting up a great match against Savigny or La Rochelle for fifth place. »
On the Atlantic coast, the other play-down match between La Rochelle and Savigny took place. Savigny’s key player Ivan Acuna was absent in the first match. In both games, the Boucaniers had the advantage, but the first match went to Savigny. The second was no contest, with Savigny unable to counter the 12 hits from the Rochelais against Amoros and Coste. Nieves, the Rochelais ace, secured his match.
Pascal Reignier, Boucaniers President: « We narrowly missed out on both victories. The injury to Miguel Lopez, our catcher, weighed heavily. We’re capable of securing the two wins needed against Savigny. »
See you in two weeks for the next 12 potential matches. Until then, consult your tarot cards and pendulums to predict the playoff and play-down winners.
