The French Division 1 championship picture is slowly beginning to take shape after this weekend's games. At the top of the standings, Montpellier and Savigny have taken the lead, while at the bottom, the situation is becoming desperate for PUC, who will find it very difficult to catch Béziers. Meanwhile, the battle for the playoff spots remains wide open between La Rochelle, Rouen, Sénart and Toulouse.
The Sénart Templiers made the biggest move of the weekend by defeating PUC twice (12-2 and 8-0). They were never seriously troubled, despite a brief scare at the beginning of Game 1. Sénart was powered by a very strong offense that collected 27 hits over the two games, including outstanding performances from young Landry, who drove in five runs in Game 1, and Mendez, who went 4-for-5 in Game 2. Their pitching was also flawless. Sénart has moved to within one game of fourth place, but the team will have to contend with the burden of its forfeited games in Montpellier, which could weigh heavily in the balance at the end of the season.
La Rochelle impressed in Game 1 against Montpellier, winning 13-2 behind an unstoppable Camara, who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs. Young pitcher Krzykawiak also delivered another excellent performance, allowing no earned runs over six innings and further confirming his status as the breakout player of the season. This was not the first time Montpellier had suffered a heavy defeat this year, but the Barracudas and their explosive offense know how to respond. They quickly built a 5-0 lead in Game 2 and held off La Rochelle's comeback to win 6-4, with Couvreur producing another outstanding outing to close the game.
Co-leaders Savigny confirmed their excellent home form by winning Game 1, 4-1. However, the Béziers Pirates, who are fighting hard to hold on to seventh place, produced a remarkable 17-hit performance in Game 2 to win 11-6. It was only Savigny's second home defeat of the season.
Finally, defending champions Rouen confirmed that they are still struggling, particularly on offense, where they continue to have difficulty turning opportunities into runs. Rouen was beaten in the 10th inning of Game 1, with Toulouse winning 2-1 after pitcher Mercadier made a throwing error to home plate on a perfect bunt by Cegielski. The Huskies then survived a major scare in Game 2 when Toulouse, trailing by two runs, loaded the bases. Mercadier, pitching in relief for the second consecutive game, forced Perez to hit a ground ball to end the threat, allowing the Huskies to hold on to fourth place.
