Cane Cutters News

Acadiana’s pinch hitter Trey Jimmerson, out of Texas A&M was at the plate with the game tied at five. A hit by Jimmerson brought Dylan Hardy, out of South Alabama, home to lead the 19th ranked Acadiana Cane Cutters to a 6-5 victory against the Woodland Strykers in walk-off fashion on Father’s Day, and improved their regular season record to 13-3.

The Cane Cutters also came back from being down 4-0 after the 2nd inning. Pitcher Carlisle Koestler, of Hinds Community College, hadn’t allowed a run all summer through 17 innings of play, but allowed four runs in the second.

Acadiana was slow to respond, but Jam Williams, out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette scored on a single by Indiana State’s Dane Giesler in the third to put the Cane Cutters on the scoreboard.

Three more runs in the fourth tied the game for the Cane Cutters, but it stopped there. The Cane Cutters left three men on base to end the inning.

It became a pitching duel until the eighth inning when the Strykers took the lead with a run by pinch runner Ryan Wadkins, of Drury University.

Then, a questionable call by the home plate umpire.

At the bottom of the eighth inning, the Cane Cutters had men on first and third, when Southern Mississippi’s Matthew Guidry hit a ball down the third baseline. Acadiana’s head coach Austin Flores, who was the third-base coach at the time, said he thought the ball was in, but it was called out, and Flores wasn’t happy.

“I had it fair,” Flores admitted, “and I’m pretty sure the other dugout had it fair as well. They kind of got lucky on that call.”

The call nearly cost the Cane Cutters the game, but the team had a little bit of ninth-inning magic.

Pinch hitter Trenton Buchhorn, out of the University of Texas at Tyler, hit a ball right over the shortstop to bring pinch runner J.C. Keys, of Southern Mississippi, in for the tying run of the night. On the very next at bat, Jimmerson brought Hardy in for the walk-off score.

Austin Flores said this game was one of the most exciting games of the summer so far.

“Anytime you hit a walk-off, no matter what fashion it is,” Flores said. “A walk-off win is something that is exciting for your team. It’s a momentum builder, but how we did it: pinch runners, pinch hitters and guys coming in to steal bases. It was just a fun team win.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Hogan Harris was awarded the win on the night for the Cane Cutters.

Acadiana will return to action tomorrow night in Victoria to take on the Victoria Generals. Acadiana’s next home game will be next Sunday, when the Cane Cutters take on the Brazos Valley Bombers.

Sunday’s game against the Bombers will be the Dog Days of Summer. Fans can purchase a $3 pooch pass to bring their dog to the game. All proceeds will be given to local animal shelters.