It's obvious the Texarkana Twins are improving.
After losing to Brazos Valley Friday night, 13-2, the Twins rebounded to win their third game in five outings Saturday at George Dobson Field by edging Acadiana, 3-2.
Texarkana (5-14) dominated the game behind the pitching of Ben Donnell, Brayden Boyd and George Eubanks.
Eubanks gave everyone a scare with his first save of the season. The Cane Cutters scored their only two runs in the ninth on three walks and a single by Logan Bottrell.
The Twins lit up the scoreboard in the third after Blake Porter walked to start the inning. Porter stole second, and Chandler Robertson singled to right on a 2-2 offering, putting runners at the corners.
Confusion followed when Robertson took off for second, stopping short of the bag and looking to see what Porter was doing at third. Porter hadn't moved and the Cane Cutters' shortstop tagged Robertson out.
Porter did score two pitches later on Kyle Bottger's fly to right to make it 1-0. Troy Black lined a single to center, but Adam Nelson got out of trouble with a grounder to shortstop.
Acadiana loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth on two singles and a walk. Donnell got out of the jam with a defensive gem when he fielded a slow roller and tossed the ball from his glove to first baseman Cole Coffee for the third out.
Donnell escaped another threat in the fifth after a two-out double by Bottrell off the right field wall. A wild pitch moved the runner to third, but he was stranded when Coffee made a great pick on a low throw from the shortstop.
Texarkana made it 2-0 in its half of the fifth on three walks and a infield error. Nelson got Connor Anderson on an infield popup to end the inning.
Daniel Lahare was hit by a pitch in the Cane Cutters' sixth. He stole second, but Donnell recorded his third and fourth strikeouts to get out of the inning.
Boyd took over for Donnell to start the seventh. The Twins' southpaw threw 90 pitches, allowing three hits, walking three and striking out four.
Boyd found himself in trouble immediately after an infield error and single by Braely Bell. Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt, but the crafty Boyd got his first strikeout and a fly to left to get out of the jam.
Landon Kimbro doubled to right-center with two outs in the seventh, but he was gunned down trying to stretch the hit into a triple. Kimbro's hit was Texarkana's first since the third inning.
The Twins scored an insurance run in the eighth off side-winding lefty Max Page.
Cale Ridling struck out, but reached safely when the catcher couldn't handle a low pitch. Ridling moved up on Anderson's second hit, and stole third before scoring on Axel Poesmans' squeeze bunt that went for a hit. Page recorded two more strikeouts to get out of the inning.
The two teams play again tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Texarkana was missing Gunner Halter Saturday, who is in Kansas City discussing his draft status with his father, former major leaguer Shane Halter.
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Adam Nelson, Justin Demary (6), Max Page (8) and Canes Castille; Ben Donnell, Brayden Boyd (7), George Eubanks (9) and Axel Poesman. WP-Donnell; LP-Nelson.