Bengals drop series finale against North Central Texas
Box Score
The LSU Eunice baseball team saw itself give up two runs in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday to drop the series finale against visiting North Central Texas College by a 6-5 score.
A day after sweeping a doubleheader in the series opening games, the Bengals (11-3) left 12 runners on base on Sunday afternoon against North Central Texas (6-8).
“(North Central Texas) could have rolled over when we go up 4-0, and sure enough they take advantage of a bunch of different miscues that happened in the top of the fourth,” head coach Jeff Willis said.
“We didn’t do enough to win today and we just have to do a better job than we were today,” he added.
The Bengals jumped on the board in the first inning when Casey Rodrigue (0-3, 2 BB, 2 runs) walked before stealing second base and later stealing home as part of a double steal.
In the third, they added three more runs on an RBI single by Garrett Deschamp (2-4, BB), an RBI ground out by Trent Vidrine and when Evan Powell (2-5, RBI) reached on a fielders’ choice.
Up by four heading into the fourth inning, Bengal starter Zac Person ran into trouble, allowing four runs on two hits, aided by four walks and an error, to tie the game and run Person from the game.
Person finished with just three strikeouts while walking five and allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits.
LSU Eunice took the lead in the sixth inning when Keagan Kratzer (1-4) singled before scoring the go ahead run on Landon Thibodeaux’s (1-2, BB, RBI) sacrifice fly.
The game remained that way until the top of the ninth, when North Central Texas pushed across two runs on four hits off of Merrick Ardoin.
The Bengals had one final chance in the ninth, when Vidrine reached after being hit by a pitch and Stefen Trosclair (2-5) singled to right field, but both were left on to end the game.
Ben LeBlanc held the Bengal lead with 4 1/3 solid innings of relief after coming on for Person in the fourth. LeBlanc allowed just three hits and four strikeouts.
Ardoin (0-1) allowed four hits in the ninth and a walk in addition to the tying and eventual winning runs, and was saddled with the loss.
“We’ve got to bear down in some situations, get better and keep practicing. We’ve got a great ball club with a lot of talent,” Willis said.
The Bengals welcome Kellogg Community College to town for a three-game set beginning Friday night with a 6 p.m. first pitch.
All three games are available on Bengal All-Access.
