Only one of the two series due to be made up in French baseball was played over the first week in June, but it turned out to be a thriller. After consecutive splits with the two teams ahead of them, La Rochelle’s Boucaniers travelled to Toulouse, which finally joined the win column last week.
Highlights
The hosts held a 2-1 lead through six thanks to the pitching of Keivy Rojas (4IP, 2H, 7K) and Mathias Lacombe (3IP, 0H, 4K). However, La Rochelle plated two in the seventh on wild pitches, with those batters reaching on the first of two hit batters and the initial free pass of two in the frame. Wilce Ñieves came up big for the visitors in the opener, tossing a complete game six-hitter, whiffing nine.
Toulouse proved a similarly tough challenge in the rubber match, taking a 3-1 lead in the first after Mendoza followed a Nolan Soliveres double with a single. After a walk, three consecutive groundballs to shortstop—two resulting in errors—helped the hosts start well. The tourists struck back in the third in similar fashion to their rally in Game 1, turning two free passes, a hit batter, and two passed balls into three runs in the third.
The middle innings were a rollercoaster, with La Rochelle taking a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth before allowing three runs to Toulouse. An unearned run in the sixth turned out to be the game-winner, with the Boucaniers moving into a tie for second with the sweep. Soliveres was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a base on balls, and three runs as a rare leadoff-batting catcher.
Results [Box Scores]
Reserve Week (June 4-5)
PUC – Metz (PP: June 26)
PUC – Metz (PP: June 26)
La Rochelle 5 – Toulouse 3
La Rochelle 8 – Toulouse 7
Upcoming Schedule
Week 7 (June 11-12)
PUC – Savigny
PUC – Savigny
Montigny – Metz
Montigny – Metz
Toulouse – Sénart
Toulouse – Sénart
La Rochelle – Nice
La Rochelle – Nice
Pool A Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Str. | H | A | RF | RA |
| Rouen Baseball 76 | 8 | 2 | .800 | – | L1 | 5-1 | 3-1 | 83 | 26 |
| Cougars de Montigny | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | W1 | 4-2 | 3-1 | 51 | 22 |
| Savigny-sur-Orge Lions | 5 | 3 | .625 | 2 | W2 | 2-0 | 3-3 | 46 | 28 |
| Metz Cometz | 2 | 6 | .000 | 6 | W2 | 0-2 | 2-4 | 38 | 62 |
| Paris Université Club | 0 | 8 | .000 | 8 | L8 | 0-6 | 0-2 | 23 | 103 |
Pool B Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Str. | H | A | RF | RA |
| Sénart Templiers | 8 | 2 | .800 | – | W3 | 3-1 | 5-1 | 66 | 26 |
| MUC Barracudas | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | L1 | 3-1 | 4-2 | 67 | 32 |
| La Rochelle Boucaniers | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | W3 | 4-2 | 3-1 | 67 | 48 |
| Stade Toulousain | 2 | 6 | .250 | 4 | L2 | 0-4 | 2-2 | 21 | 47 |
| Nice Cavigal | 0 | 10 | .000 | 8 | L10 | 0-6 | 0-4 | 14 | 82 |