On a sun-splashed Tuesday in Lafayette, the yard wasn’t just busy, it was vibrating. You had the packed bleachers, families, fans, and teammates leaning on the fence in the dugout. But more importantly, you had 44 MLB scouts posted up with phones to record and clipboards for note-taking. Now, let’s be clear: they showed up to see the St. Ignatius Short Stop. But they walked away talking about something you can’t coach, the Dons’ determination.
St. Ignatius landed the first punch. Top of the first, sharp single, 1–0 Wildcats. Most teams blink. Acalanes? They didn’t even flinch. In the bottom half, Drew Asadorian stepped up and executed a sacrifice fly deep enough to knot it at one. It was calm. It was just business. It was Dons on the scoreboard, 1 for them, 1 for us. Easy. By the third with two outs, Asadorian absolutely smoked a triple over right field, knocking in Jimmy Cusumano from his earlier single. The dugout erupted. Moments later, Tommy Terhar punched a single through to stretch it to 3–1. Pressure applied.
On the mound, Branson Smith had ice in his veins. He went four innings, gave up four hits, and only one earned run. In the third, Smith caught a Wildcat leaning at first. Quick turn, snap throw, got him. In the fourth, Smith started a crisp double play to Cusuamano at short to Tarrab at first and dialed up a strikeout to finish his day. Isaac Copen took control on the mound, commanding the fifth, sixth innings, and into the seventh inning with three strikeouts. Jackson Garbo took the mound with two outs remaining in the seventh, calm and composed, and wasted little time finishing the frame. Dons sealing the third out with a sharp line drive that found Cody Michlitsch’s glove at second base. But, St. Ignatius answered with a run in the fourth and evened the score at 3–3 in the fifth before surging ahead at the top of the seventh. Their dugout grew louder. Their D-1 confidence showed. But they left the door cracked, and in high-stakes moments, that’s all it takes.
Bottom of the seventh. Down 4–3. One out. Zach Birrell reaches on an error; hustle made it happen. Then he swipes second, just like that. The crack in the door? Now it’s wide open. The Wildcats started looking less wild and more bewildered. Birrell’s steal even drew a challenge from the SI coach, but the ump wasn’t buying it. He stayed put. Will Forschler at the plate took a walk. Tyler Tarrab takes one off the shoulder and trots to first. Bases loaded. Enter Tyler Winkles. Designated hitter. First pitch? Crack. Winkles drives it deep to the left. Two runs score. Game over. 5–4 Dons. Walk-off. Absolute chaos.
The Dons didn’t just win; they made a statement. When the sun was setting, and the stakes were highest, the Dons didn’t play small. They played loud, they played fearless, and they finished. The MLB scouts leaned along the fence line, notebooks open. They came to lock in on one Wildcat; instead, they watched the Dons grab the cats by their tail.
Acalanes 5. St. Ignatius 4. That’s how you protect the home turf.