Strykers: Continue home dominance

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – The Woodlands Strykers scored five runs on two hits in the third inning and Talan Roepcke led a trio of pitchers to the mound to preserve a 5-2 win over the Acadiana Cane Cutter Friday.

Roepcke (2-3) went seven innings to pick up the win at Strykers Stadium on the campus of The Woodlands Christian Academy. It was the fifth consecutive home win for the Strykers and ninth in 10 home games.

The lefty yielded just five hits and two runs while striking out two and walking two. It was his longest stint since his first outing of the season, a seven-inning rout on June 4.

Matt Johnson and Nolan Riggs worked an inning each of no-hit relief.

Acadiana took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning but the Strykers answered with the help of a couple of Cane Cutters’ errors and a key two-run single from Shaun Hoover.

Chris Deleon opened the inning with a walk and scored following a Garrett Lozano single and a passed ball. Lozano came around to score on a Carter Burgess sacrifice fly. Burgess is second in the league with 35 RBI.

Rickey Sanchez reached on an error, stole second, and scored on another error that allowed Dan Perkins to reach base. Adrian Lopez was safe on the third Cane Cutters’ error of the inning, setting up Hoover’s clutch single.

The Strykers were limited to one hit the rest of the game, a seventh-inning double by Lopez.

The Strykers host the Texas Collegiate League leading East Texas Pump Jacks at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. It’s Strykers Dog Day and all fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to the game. Special Dog Day events begin at 5:30 p.m. with a Pup Parade scheduled for 6:15 p.m.

It’s the Strykers’ final homestand of the season and continues Sunday with a 7:05 p.m. game against the Brazos Valley Bombers. The stand concludes with 7:05 p.m. games Tuesday and Wednesday with the Alexandria Aces.