Top: the Gambas, favorites of Group C, fell to the Panthers…
Group A
Sénart (12-4) vs Rouen (8-8)
In Group A, the reserve teams of the D1 powerhouses clashed again with the Templiers once again coming out on top 8-2 and 1-0. The Huskies’ second team came close to splitting the series. In the first game, Eusebio and Meurant T allowed only 3 hits (10 Ks and 2 BBs) to the Normandy pups in two hours of play, with a superb triple to left field by Riep. The Sénart players, meanwhile, smacked 9 hits, including a double and two triples, against Lippert (2-2) and Moscato. It was Mercadier’s turn to take the mound for Rouen against Brelle and Cucek in the next seven innings. A remarkable match where only one run was scored for the Templiers by Collet in the fifth, and none for Rouen. Yet the visitors had five safe hits against only two for Sénart. The victory went to Cucek (4 IP, 7 Ks, 0 BBs, 0 ER).
Paris baseball (1-14) is in crisis and also struggling in D2. Against Thiais (11-5), the day unfolded without surprises in favor of the Tigers, who took all 14 innings: 7-12 and 3-5. Triple by Nontanovanh in the first game.
Group B
Ronchin (11-5) vs Dunkerque (6-10)
7-3 and 6-4 were the scores on which the Dragons and Korvers parted ways. Duels were also expected, with the Pas-de-Calais side putting up a fierce resistance in the afternoon. Jeammot (3-0) and Duquenoy (3-0) took a win.
Top: Korvers vs Montigny June 19, 2022.
Montigny hosted the fearsome Vipers, who are batting .396. They might have regretted it… Vochelli, still victorious (7-1), narrowly missed a « no-hitter » (6 innings). To blame, an impetuous catcher who managed to hit a single (Casaubon-Pee) for the Cougars. First victory of the day with eight hits produced (including two doubles by Swindling and Thomasee) 1-17! Same teams and same again for the second game. Deplanque (5-1) victorious in just five innings….15-2. Three doubles for the Vipers. Grosjean, Vochelli, Lamour. It stings…
Group C
Boucaniers (7-5) vs Eysines (4-8) postponed
The surprise of the month: Bréal (6-8) took two superb wins against the leaders, the Gambas (9-5) with a .309 average, perhaps understaffed with too many errors made. The Panthers hit 10 times safely against 6 for the Basques (including doubles by Del Rio and Foucaud). Renaudin (3-2) took the win 7-5. In the second, Bréal knocked out Anglet’s mound with 10 hits (double by Quequiner) against half as many for Anglet. Double victory. The second 10-7. The Panthers (avg. .323) can cause a surprise in this second act of the championship.
Group D
Béziers (8-8) and Meyzieu (6-10) split.
Béziers needed to get out of trouble. Halfway there since the Cards are still hot on the heels of the Pirates. First victory 12-2 for the Biterrois with a festival of doubles: 6 out of the 13 hits obtained! 3 errors on each side…. Pilar Velazquez (4-3) works five innings and wins his fourth victory. Tighter match afterwards. A double a triple for Béziers. Marin hits a 3 for 4 for the Cards.
But nothing worked, the day’s fate swung to Béziers’ side despite their four new errors. Second victory 7-3.
Top: will the Béziers Pirates confirm their title from last year? Work in progress…
Another surprise, not from the final result but from the end-of-game scores.
The Barracudas, last in the pool (4-12), hosted the group’s top dogs, the Arvernes de Clermont (14-2).
Antonymic! Or antinomic… In the first game, it’s four hits each. Two doubles will also be hit by each of the two teams. It’s at the level of strikeouts that things get ugly with 12 victims on the Montpellier side and 7 for the Arvernes. If we add to this the three defensive errors of the southerners, we understand that Blasiole (3-0) took his victory. Tight victory 0-1 for the visitors.
The tenants of the Cézeaux intend to make room in the return vehicles for a second victory. They will work on this with Rainho, Avial and Takano to close the door on the mound. 7 hits including 2 triples Arvernes to 3 hits for the Occitans. Montpellier takes another 11 Ks for just 1 BB! A single error in this match disrupts the Clermont defense. Arvernes victory 1-2.
Teams will still play for the standings in each pool for three more weeks. Some matches in arrears. A total of 12 more confrontations, 24 matches.
D2 is likely to live on edge until the end of the second act, which will determine the finalists. In each group, the seconds are more or less threatened by the outsiders.
Vincent Picard
