In 2025, the Comanches of Saint-Raphaël did not simply win a championship. They imposed total, methodical, and spectacular domination on French women’s softball. With a second consecutive title, a nearly perfect season, and a controlled final series from start to finish, the Var team is firmly established at the top.
A Conquering Season
The numbers speak for themselves: out of 20 matches played, the Comanches won 18 games, conceding only two defeats to Évry-Courcouronnes (1-12) and Pessac (2-4). The rest of the season took place under the sign of mastery, with often one-sided scores:
- Against Pessac: 9-0, 4-2, 6-0, 11-4
- Against Grenoble: 11-3, 15-7, 11-3, 12-2
- Against Clapiers-Jacou: 8-0, 11-2, 14-4, 9-2
- Against Évry-Courcouronnes: 10-3, 8-4, 10-3, 1-12
- Against Colombes: 9-2, 11-3, 8-1, 12-11
This regularity is not the result of chance. It is based on a dense attack, a formidable pitching rotation, and a disciplined defense. Each sector of the game has been mastered, and each player has contributed to the edifice.
The Attack: An Offensive Armada
Individual statistics confirm what the scores suggested. Ines Marie (.490 AVG, .816 SLG, 23 RBI) was the most consistent and powerful hitter. Mélissa Mayeux, in just 4 games, has an OPS of 1.643. Prapeng De Ridder (.484 AVG, 11 RBI) combines precision and power, while Chiara Enrione-Thorrand (.378 AVG, 25 RBI) emerges as the best run producer.
The Mound: Two Pillars, A Wall
On the pitching side, two names dominate: Prapeng De Ridder and Elise Buvat. The first has a 13-0 record, a 1.36 ERA, and 89 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. The second, with a 1.18 ERA and a .159 opposing average, completes a nearly impenetrable rotation.
Against them, opponents were often reduced to silence. Few hits, few runs, and above all, an inability to string together hits. The Comanches knew how to lock down their games from the mound.
A Flawless Defense
Defense was not left behind. Ines Marie, again, has a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) in 47 defensive plays. Léna Touret, Farah Saidi, and Youna Pascale Clotilde complete this trio of efficiency. Behind the plate, Chiara Enrione-Thorrand was imperial: 127 defensive plays, 3 double plays, and surgical base stealing management.
Lisa Vieira and Elsa Munier also shone with their consistency, while Pauline Prade was able to secure the infield with authority. A well-distributed, complementary, and always alert defense.
The Final: Three Acts, A Demonstration
Against a valiant but overwhelmed Île-de-France team, the Comanches unfolded their score in three games:
Game 1: 9-2, Sofia Hammacott hits 3/3, Chiara and Lisa Vieira each produce 2 runs. The attack is surgical, the defense locks down.
Game 2: 12-2, Chiara hits a decisive hit for 4 RBI. Ines Haudiquer and Lisa Vieira each score 3 runs. Elsa Munier reveals herself with 2 hits and 2 RBI.
Game 3: 9-2, a carbon copy of the first act: 7 hits, 7 RBI, 8 walks. Chiara, again, signs 2 hits and 1 RBI. Sofia Hammacott also has a great final series.
Three games, three clear victories, and an impression of ease that says a lot about the collective mastery.
If the Comanches shine with their collective, Chiara Enrione-Thorrand embodies this excellence. Elected MVP of the final series, she was omnipresent: behind the plate, at bat, in key moments. With 5 hits, 6 RBI, and no strikeouts in the series, she was the team’s metronome. Her leadership, regularity, and ability to turn games around make her a central figure in this emerging dynasty.
A Dynasty In The Making
With this second consecutive title, the Comanches of Saint-Raphaël are no longer just a dominant team. They become a reference, a model, a dynasty under construction. Their ability to renew performances, maintain requirements, and bring out talents confirms a well-established winning culture. And if 2024 was the year of revelation, 2025 is that of confirmation. A resounding confirmation, without appeal, which suggests an even more ambitious future.
Looking back on the season with Chiara Enrione-Thorrand, who kindly accepted to answer our questions:
BTVF: 2 French Championship titles in a row, MVP of the final series, and a historic triple with your club… how do you summarize this incredible season?
Indeed, with the little hindsight I have on this beautiful season, I can say that it has a magical and memorable flavor. We started it a bit like children, talking about this crazy dream of doing a triple. We knew what we were capable of, both good and bad, but we all had the same desire: to go for it. I think we were able to give ourselves the means, individually but above all collectively, that is to say the players, but also all the actors who accompanied us, and in particular our 2 coaches Alexandre and Rémi. The framework that the club gave us allowed us to work correctly upstream of the season and throughout it.
BTVF: When you win everything, from the championship to the European Cup, what makes you the most proud, both in terms of personal and collective performance?
What makes me the most proud today (and I can speak for many on this, I think) is that we went to win a European Cup with a 100% French and 100% Comanches roster! It gave a special flavor to the victory!
BTVF: You come out as MVP of the final, what was the trigger that day? Did you feel from the start that it was your game?
I am very honored to have been elected MVP of this final. I think, however, that it remains a collective work, whether at bat, where my teammates knew how to get on base to allow me to score them, or in defense, with a fine performance from the pitchers that allowed me to work well behind the plate.
BTVF: After an impressive season last year, how did you find the motivation to do it all again… and even better!
To be totally honest, I had a bit of apprehension before starting this 2025 season. It’s true that 2024 was spectacular and ended on a very good note, and so we had to be up to the task for this new season. What particularly motivated me was, on the one hand, to take our revenge on the French Challenge, but also to perform at the European level on the European Cup! In fact, the European Cup is such an enriching experience on a human and sporting level that we had to be ready to enjoy it to the fullest and also because it’s essential to respect the time and means that the club invested for us to experience it!
BTVF: A season is long, and yet the performances followed one another, was there a complicated moment to manage, a turning point in the season where you had to grit your teeth?
Honestly, no. The beauty of this team is that everyone has always known how to bring their stone to the edifice whenever it was needed. For example, we have players who evolve in universities in the United States and cannot be present at certain parts of the season. And it was not a problem since their place was quickly and well filled! It allows us to train young players and give playing time to those who have a little less when they are there.
BTVF: If you had to summarize your team in one word or one value, what would it be? And why?
In one word, the Comanches for me are: harmony. We have players with very different backgrounds, but who blend in so well together. We have common values: kindness, commitment, trust, and pleasure on the field, and I think that’s a bit the magic recipe for our team.
BTVF: You also win the European Cup! Do you feel that the club has passed a milestone?
Yes, absolutely, the club has given us the means to allow us to have the ambition to win this Cup. We were lucky to have with us, in addition to our 2 beloved coaches: 1 coach to help with performance, 1 pitching coach, but also 2 great volunteers who allowed us to eat well for a week and a golden supporter.
BTVF: Let’s not forget the access to the TOP 6 European with the French team, do you also feel that the team has taken a step forward?
Personally, I think the French team is progressing every year, and the Top 6 is the reflection of a long job! PS: I hope France won’t stop there!!
BTVF: After such a triple, one can wonder what the next challenge will be?
The next challenge is to go for a performance with a French team in a European Cup « A » this time. It’s a nice goal, it will motivate us, and we’ll see where we stand alongside the best players in Europe or even the world.
BTVF: If you had to choose a highlight of this season, the one that still gives you goosebumps, which one would it be?
This question is very difficult, there have been a few! I think that if I had to relive one today, it would be the final of the French Challenge. Between the stadium atmosphere with the spectators, the stakes of taking our revenge, but also the pressure of the 1st game broadcast live on TV… wow, it was really incredible and full of emotions!
Sébastien Dondé
Photo credits: Comanches club Facebook page
