Late runs give Bengals road win over Baton Rouge Wednesday night
Box Score The LSU Eunice baseball team grabbed an early lead Wednesday night against Baton Rouge Community College, but needed a late rally to come away with the 9-5 road victory.
The Bengals (29-7) were up 5-0 after six innings, but saw Baton Rouge (15-28) tally five runs over the seventh and eighth frames to tie the score before the visitors posted four runs in the top of the ninth to grab the win.
With the score tied at five, LSU Eunice opened the ninth inning with a leadoff double by Brennan Bozeman before he scored on Stefan Trosclair's RBI sacrifice fly to give the Bengals the lead. Three batters later, David LaFleur gave the visitors some breathing room with his three-run homer to left field that proved to be the final score.
LaFleur finished 2-for-2 with four RBIs and the homer, while Bozeman collected three hits. Jordan Romero (2-4) and Ray Veit (2-3, double) each finished with two hits, as Trosclair (0-2, walk) drove in two runs and Mason Nickens (0-2) collected an RBI as well.
Jevin Huval, the fourth of five total Bengal pitchers on the night, earned his fourth win of the season after tossing a striking out two batters and retiring the side in the eighth after inheriting two runners after Baton Rouge had already scored in the inning.
LSU Eunice starter Nick Hartman did not factor in the decision despite his 6 2/3 innings of work in which he allowed five hits and three runs (2 earned) while striking out nine batters.
The Bengals jumped on the scoreboard in the third inning when Veit led off with a triple followed by a pair of walks. Nickens' sacrifice fly plated Veit with the first run of the night before a Baton Rouge balk brought Derek Herrington (0-3, walk) home. Trosclair's sacrifice fly later in the inning brought in Bozeman to complete the three-run frame.
In the sixth, Trosclair drew a walk to open the inning before Kyle St. Pierre (0-3) was hit by a pitch to give LSU Eunice a pair of base runners. On a double steal attempt, the ball got past the Baton Rouge third baseman, allowing Trosclair to score and St. Pierre to advance to third. St. Pierre would come home moments later on LaFleur's RBI single.
Baton Rouge began their comeback in the bottom of the seventh, when they strung together three runs on three hits and a Bengal error, all coming with two outs, to cut into the lead.
The hosts led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and single before a LSU Eunice error allowed a run to score and Baton Rouge tied the game on an RBI groundout to set up the ninth inning for the Bengals.
LSU Eunice and Baton Rouge square off again this weekend in a three-game set, with Friday and Sunday's games in Eunice.
Friday night's series opener begins at 6 p.m. and can be seen on Bengal All-Access and heard on KVPI 92.5 FM.
