Savigny on the Brink of a Historic Triumph

The Savigny Lions produced a tremendous performance by winning twice (1-0, 4-3) on the road against the Rouen Huskies, leaving them just one victory away from the French championship title. It would be the first time Rouen, who have won the title in all 19 of their finals since 2003, were defeated in a championship series. In a showdown dominated by pitchers, the Lions powered their way to victory with home runs. They will host Rouen next Saturday and Sunday as they attempt to claim their sixth title – and their first since 2004.

Game 1: One Run Is Enough

It is hard to find any fault with Huskies starting pitcher Ryusuke Ito. He pitched all nine innings, allowing only five hits and one walk, while letting just three opposing players reach scoring position. He began the game with six consecutive strikeouts and finished with a total of 15. In short, he was utterly dominant.

There was just one small problem : a fastball left over the heart of the plate on the first pitch of the third inning to the Lions’ seventh hitter, Hugo Désir (.300, 0 HR, 8 RBI during the regular season). The ball sailed over the left-field fence to give Savigny a 1-0 lead. Nobody knew it yet, but that would be the final score.

One run was all Lions pitcher Adrian Pena needed. He was not quite as dominant as Ito, but his performance was exceptional: five walks, five hits allowed, and 13 strikeouts. Most importantly, he dominated in the toughest situations. The Huskies stranded 11 runners and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Pena received little help from his defense, which committed four errors, but he held firm. The most telling example came in the fourth inning, when Rouen’s Vissac reached third base with only one out following two throwing errors by the Lions’ defense. Six pitches and two strikeouts later, the inning was over.

Rouen started strongly, recording two hits in the first inning, but once again failed to capitalize. The Huskies tried to mount a late push, putting two runners on base in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth, but Pena was simply untouchable. Including the semifinal against Montpellier, he has now pitched 18 consecutive scoreless innings.

Game 2: The Heart of a Lion

Rouen were disappointed, but not necessarily worried, after losing Game 1. After all, the Huskies had already lost the opening game in eight of their previous 19 finals – and had gone on to win every one of those series. They also had a 16-3 record in Game 2.

The expectation was that the powerful right-handed hitters in the heart of their lineup would rediscover their form against veteran left-hander Gédéon Coste, who was coming off a difficult season (3-4, 5.77 ERA) and an even tougher semifinal, in which he allowed 10 earned runs over seven innings.

When two doubles by Megumi and Nishikawa, combined with two major defensive errors, allowed Rouen to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, there was a palpable sense of relief in the Rouen camp. Everything was going to return to normal : the Huskies would level the series, and the two teams would be back where they started.

Then Ivan Acuna took matters into his own hands. The Venezuelan, the best hitter in the French league in recent years, had enjoyed another outstanding season (.402, 16 extra-base hits, 18 RBI). However, he was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the series when he came to the plate in the third inning, with one out and his compatriot Nunez on first after a walk. Once again, it happened on the first pitch : Acuna launched the ball deep to left field to tie the game at 2-2.

Rouen refused to back down. In the bottom half of the inning, the Huskies regained a 3-2 lead on a Nishikawa home run. They continued to apply pressure, trying to make Coste and the Savigny defense crack, but once again demonstrated their lack of efficiency, finishing a painful 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

The game was decided in the eighth inning. Huskies manager Quentin Becquey chose to remove starter Thibault Mercadier (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K). Instead of turning to his usual trusted late-inning reliever, Japan’s Taido (7-1, 1.64 ERA during the regular season), he handed the ball to veteran left-hander Esteban Prioul, who had seen very little action in recent weeks. That decision changed the course of the game.

After one out, Acuna – who else ? – hit his second home run of the game to tie the score. Then, following a fierce seven-pitch battle, the next hitter, Axel Amoros, sent the ball in the same direction to give the Lions a 4-3 lead.

Savigny brought in their regular closer, Orozco, who promptly retired all three Rouen hitters he faced in the eighth inning. He was not seriously troubled in the ninth either, although Rouen did record a hit with two outs.

The Lions could finally let their joy erupt and dream of achieving something that had seemed impossible in French baseball for a quarter of a century: bringing down the Rouen powerhouse.