Weekend of bat sports: France thrills between Europe and surprising semifinals
It’s not just D1 baseball that’s getting French bat fans excited! This weekend proved it loud and clear, with European drama, nail-biting finals, and standings turned upside down. A quick look at a weekend like no other.
WBSC European Softball Cup Women: The Comanches conquer
They did it! The Comanches of Saint-Raphaël claim the Women’s European Cup after a thunderous campaign: seven games played, six wins, one loss in the group stage, and complete dominance. Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands… all fell to the Var side.
And if you’re looking for heroines, look no further than the batting lineup: Prade, Enrione, and Haudiquer, the tournament’s top three hitters with averages above .500, all from the French squad. A display of power and consistency that confirms the Comanches’ excellent season, already leading the French championship.
Meanwhile, Évry’s Pharaonnes had a very different story in Cup A. Eight losses in eight games, a painful 8th place that reminds us how big the gap still is at this European level. But no doubt this experience will pay off down the line.
Women’s D1 Softball: Doubles for Pessac and Grenoble
Facing Colombes, Pessac’s players found the chink in the armour to win quite comfortably in both matchups. Similarly, Grenoble struggled a bit more but achieved the same result by beating Clapiers twice. This doesn’t change the standings, but Clapiers and Colombes bring up the rear with no hope left for this season’s finale.
Men’s D1 Softball: Évry and Nice lead the pack
Évry got the better of Contes (2-4 then 1-6) and holds onto their top spot. But watch out: Nice made short work of Pessac, allowing them to stay neck and neck with Évry. The ninth and final matchday of the championship is on September 7th and will be decisive for the top spot, with the two leaders facing off in two games.
D2 Baseball: The scenario no one saw coming
The D2 semifinals delivered edge-of-your-seat suspense, worthy of the greatest scripts. In a best-of-three series, it took all three games in both series to decide the finalists.
Saturday night, everything seemed wrapped up: Valenciennes and Nice, top of their pools, had struck first. Logic dictated they’d secure their final berth. But Sunday changed everything! The PUC and Meyzieu, determined underdogs, turned the tables to claim double victory and a surprising final berth.
This unprecedented matchup, PUC vs. Meyzieu, will be played on September 14th and 20th. With a special format: two games up front on the 14th, a third on the 20th, and potential games 4 and 5 on the 21st. In the shadows, Metz is watching closely: the promotion ambitions aren’t the same for the finalists. The PUC dreams of returning to D1, which they left for administrative reasons in 2023, while Meyzieu plays it close to the chest, tight-lipped about their ambitions but now just two wins away from the top tier.
