France 2 – Austria 0. Both French clubs completed their mission on the opening matchday of the European Cup. The expected outcome held true, and both Cougars and Barracudas can still dream of the semifinals.
Early in the morning, Montigny pulled off their duck hunt with a 4-0 victory over Wiener-Neustadt’s Diving Ducks. For once, Yorfrank Lopez had some breathing room and offensive support, allowing him to pitch with less pressure after his team’s 4-run third inning. The Venezuelan was his usual self, allowing just 5 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 10. He was never truly in danger, except for a brief scare in the second inning (2 walks) that was contained with a double play. The rest was smooth sailing, with a few scattered hits but no real threats.
While the Cougars secured the win, concerns linger about their offensive firepower. That 4-run burst relied heavily on Austrian defensive and pitching generosity: a hit-by-pitch, two errors, and two walks, one with the bases loaded. Dylan Mayeux (2 hits) was the engine of this team, with Warren Coopman and Felipe Lot also contributing. Mayeux is the heart of this squad, and Coopman’s presence is crucial in the lineup.
It’s good they capitalized against the Ducks’ ace (the quotes are warranted), but it’s concerning they went silent for 5 innings (3 hits, 1 walk) against a pitcher with an ERA over 8 in the Austrian league. Still, the job is done, and Montigny will rest tomorrow before facing a stiffer test on Thursday against the Marlins.
The thoughts of Dylan Mayeux:
Great energy from everyone, and the execution was there. We took a second wind, and it feels good to win! We’ll keep pushing for our goal in this competition.
The Tenerife side didn’t hold back, as expected, against Karlovac. A flawless 11-0 mercy-rule win, with every batter in the lineup recording at least one hit. When the Spanish champions’ offense gets rolling, it’s hard to stop. But this match won’t be decisive for Montigny, who will likely play their semifinal qualifier against the Croatians.
The Barracudas did their job and, more importantly, conserved Canelon’s arm. He exited after five innings and a 7-0 lead, having thrown just 61 pitches. He’ll be ready for the decisive weekend matches—a huge relief. There was no real drama, and Montpellier struck early in the first inning after two outs, scoring two runs on a Rodriguez hit and a Vienna defensive error. After two quieter innings, Montpellier’s offense scored in every inning starting in the fourth, highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Rodriguez and Antonac in the eighth. The former Phillies player was once again impressive at the plate, going 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. He just missed a triple to complete the cycle. The 4-5-6 hitters in coach Ozanich’s lineup (Kovacs/Rodriguez/Antonac) combined for 9 of the team’s 13 hits and drove in 7 runs. Apart from Quentin Scheurer’s rough start (only 1 strikeout in 6 batters faced), it was a perfect day for Montpellier.
The thoughts of Owen Ozanich:
Indeed, a big match tomorrow—we’re treating it like a must-win.
We had great at-bats today, and Kevin Canelon was rock-solid as always. Important relief work from Scheurer and Deleau, preserving Gosselin, Polit, and Antonac for the rest.
They’ll need to be just as sharp this morning for a match that feels like a semifinal against the Deurne Spartans. These Belgians, with their strong Spanish influence, boast a roster of players with minor-league experience, including Venezuelans Arguinzones, Bustamante, Gerdel, Polanco, and naturalized Belgians Larrinage and Reina. It’s never easy for French national teams or clubs to face the Belgians, and tomorrow’s match will likely prove that. But if the Barracudas’ offense keeps firing, all hopes are permitted.
