Bengals split pair on Saturday against visiting Delgado
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The LSU Eunice baseball team split a Saturday afternoon doubleheader against in-state foe Delgado Community College, taking the opening game 8-0 before an 8-6 loss in game two.
The Bengals, ranked second in the NJCAA Division II polls, move to 20-5 with the split, while Delgado, No. 2 in the NJCAA Division I polls, now sits at 25-3.
"In game one, Chad Reeves threw phenomenal and set the tone like a starting pitcher supposed to do. Our hitters played well in that game and there were a lot of positive things to come out of that game. But on the flip side, your goal is to win both games and we didn't get that done tonight," head coach Jeff Willis said.
"The positive thing is that the series is a three-game series and we have an opportunity to win it tomorrow."
The first game saw LSU Eunice plate five of their eight runs in the opening two innings, Brennan Bozeman (RBI) and Kyle St. Pierre each tallied two-hit games. Mason Nickens (2 RBI), Stefan Trosclair (RBI), Madision Nickens and Derek Herrington all added a hit, while Tyler Chapman (0-2) drove home two runs as well.
Reeves earned his seventh win of the season following seven strong innings on the mound, as the left-hander allowed just four hits and three walks while striking out eight Delgado batters.
The Bengals used a wild pitch to plate their first run before a sacrifice fly by Chapman scored a second run and an error later in the first inning pushed the lead to 3-0. In the second inning, Madison Nickens' one-out triple led to a double steal attempt and an error that allowed him to score before Herrington, also involved in the double steal, scored via a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bozeman.
Trosclair connected on a two-out, solo homer over the left field wall in the fifth inning before Mason Nickens' two-run double down the left field line plated the final two runs of game one in the win.
Game two saw Delgado post a six-run fourth inning, all coming with two outs, as the Bengals were unable to fight back, plating two runs in the bottom of the seventh before leaving two runners on to end the night later in the inning.
Mason Nickens and St. Pierre each notched two hits in the nightcap, with St. Pierre tallying four RBIs, while Bozeman (RBI), Chapman, Herrington, Madison Nickens and Ray Veit all added one hit.
Nick Lawrence was saddled with the loss out of the bullpen after allowing six runs in 1 2/3 innings of work on four hits and three walks.
Delgado took the lead in the top of the third inning, collecting four consecutive hits to open the frame to post their first run before the Bengals responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning via a Bozeman RBI sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to plate the second run and take a 2-1 advantage.
In the fourth, Delgado used four hits and four walks to score their six runs, highlighted by a three-run homer, all coming after the opening two batters in the inning were retired.
St. Pierre pulled the Bengals closer in the fifth inning with his two-run single before Delgado used a hit batter and an error to push the lead a run higher in the sixth.
The seventh inning saw St. Pierre come through with another two-run single, but the Bengals would leave two runners stranded to end the night, as Delgado recorded all three outs in the frame via strikeouts.
LSU Eunice and Delgado wrap up their weekend series tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
"It will be key for us tomorrow is for our pitchers to set the tone and fill the zone and then our hitters to be able to take advantage of anything they may give us as well as getting some timely hits. We are going to show up, get after it and see where it goes," Willis said.
Tomorrow's game can be seen on Bengal All-Access and heard on KVPI 1050 AM.
