EUNICE -- The LSU Eunice Softball team swept two games here Thursday against Faulkner State, 8-0 and 3-1, in a doubleheader.
Rae'Shaun Melancon's walk-off 2-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Lady Bengals the victory in game two and the sweep of their first doubleheader of the year.
The wins push the Lady Bengals to 10-1 on the season that started two weeks ago. Faulkner fell to 3-6.
Game 1 - LSUE 8, Faulkner State 0
The Lady Bengals mercy ruled the Sun Chiefs 8-0 in five innings after a damaging third inning by Faulkner's pitcher. Two illegal pitch calls and several walks gave the Lady Bengals 5 runs on three hits.
LSUE then put the game away in the bottom of the fifth inning when
Bobbi Smith (West Ouachita HS) singled, driving in
Mary Guillory (St. Louis Catholic HS) and
Rebecca Skains (West Ouachita HS) singled driving in Smith.
Emily Henderson (North Desoto HS) put the game away with a triple to center field that drove in Skains and ended the game.
Henderson and Skains were 2-for-3 and Smith and Malancon finshed 1-for-3. Malancon had 2 RBis and Smith, Skains, Henderson,
Jordan Bishop (Newton County HS) and
Lakyn Wales (Zachary HS) each had 1 RBI.
Savanna Cates (Hargrave HS) earned the win, pitching all five innings.
Game 2 - LSUE 3, Faulkner State 1
Game two was a different story. The Lady Bengals needed the walk-off two-run homer by Malancon to win it in extra innings.
The game was scoreless through four innings before LSUE final took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when
Sierra Gasca (West Ouachita HS) scored after Skains reached first base on an error and advanced the runners.
Faulkner answered with a run after their designated hitter, Allison Pickett, hit a double to right field.
The game stayed deadlocked at 1-1 and in the bottom of the eighth inning with just one out, Malancon homered to center field and drove in Skains. Skains had gotten on base after being hit by a pitch, and she advanced to second on a sacrifice fly by Henderson.
Malancon finished the game 1-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Henderson was 1-for-3, and Gasca was 1-for-1 with a run scored.
Molly Wilson (Castor HS) earned the win for the Lady Bengals. She pitched 3.1 innings and struck out three batters.
The Lady Bengals will head to the Pearl River Tournament this weekend.
