Cane Cutters News

The Acadiana Cane Cutters (7-7) split a 2-game series against the Brazos Valley Bombers (6-6). The Cane Cutters are in 2nd place 1.5 games back of front-running Baton Rouge Rougarou (7-4) in the Louisiana division and 3rd overall in the league standings behind that same Rougarou team and the Victoria Generals (8-5) for the top spot.

Game 1 featured a pitchers battle between the Brazos Valley Bombers and the Acadiana Cane Cutters. Caleb Muffoletto got his first start of the season for the Cane Cutters. The right hander out of Wallace Dothan Community College went 2.2 innings just surrendering 1 run on 3 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. The Bombers took the early lead in the 1st inning started by a walk from Chris Benavidez, who would later come all the way around to score on an RBI infield single from Caden Miller. 

Acadiana’s powerful offense was no match for the starting pitcher, with left hander Bryson Walker going 6 innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and striking out 10 batters. Trey Usey came in for Acadiana in relief of Caleb Muffoletto and had a fantastic outing going 4.1innings, giving up no runs, walking and striking out a batter, on just 4 hits, keeping the Cane Cutters in the game.

The Bombers would match though as right hander John Anders came in the top of 7th inning and continued right where the starter Byson Walker left off in the early going. After Noah Melancon got out of a jam in the bottom of the 8th inning the Cane Cutters did not give up. Back-to-back walks given up by John Anders to start the top of the 9th inning for Acadiana would set up a clutch RBI double from Tanner Sever to tie the game at 1 and send it to extra innings. In the top of the 10th inning, Bombers right hander Blake Sehlke, who got the final out in the 9th inning, gave up a sacrifice fly to Ashton Quiller scoring Bennett Mittlesteadt, giving Acadiana the 2-1 lead. Noah Melancon finished it off in the bottom of the 10th inning getting Bombers Ty Hodge to flyout to center fielder Ashton Quiller with the bases loaded to end the game and the 2-1 victory for the Cane Cutters.

Acadiana moves to 2-0 in extra-inning games this season and both extra inning wins coming against the Brazos Valley bombers. Taking the loss was Blake Sehlke (0-1) for the Bombers and getting the win for the Cane Cutters was Noah Melancon (1-0).

Game 2 the Bombers got off to a hot start against Acadiana starter left hander Hayden Toal with back-to-back RBI hits from Chris Benavidez and Ty Hodge leading 3-0 after the 1st inning. The Bombers would continue right where they left off though in the first, scoring 3 more runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning off Hayden Toal. Starting the rally for the Bombers was Tristan Russell with an RBI single.

Down but not out of it, Acadiana kept fighting down 6-2 in the top of the 7th inning. With the Cane Cutters best scoring opportunity coming with the bases loaded and nobody out, Reid Snider drove in a run with a groundout, then Mark Collins hit his second sacrifice fly of the game, and finally the Cutters got gifted a run with a balk by Bombers pitcher Brayton Davis, scoring 3 in the 7th inning, cutting the Bombers lead down to 1. 

However, the Bombers lead was too big for Acadiana to come back from and lost the game, 8-5. Taking the loss was Hayden Toal (0-1) for the Cane Cutters. Getting the win for the Bombers was Ben Bosse (1-0). Earning the save for the Bombers was Daniel Dial (2).

Acadiana will continue their 4-game series against the Bombers (6-6) at Fabacher Field this Saturday and Sunday June 15th -June 16th before heading to Baton Rouge to take on the Baton Rouge Rougarou (7-4) June 18th-June 19th. All games can be streamed on TCL TV. Fans can check for news and updates with Cane Cutters on X (@CanecuttersBB) Instagram (@canecutters.bslb) and Facebook (@Acadiana Cane Cutters Baseball). 

Special Thanks to Sports Writer Jared Viancourt