EUNICE, La. – For a fourth consecutive time to start the season, No. 8 LSU Eunice did not play a full nine inning game. The Bengals pound Southwest Tennessee 20-10 in eight innings to open up the four-game series.
The bats were led by three home runs from Cameron Horton, Austin Kirkpatrick and Tristan Welch.
The Salukis shocked the Bengals to start the game plating three runs on two hits, three walks and two errors. Starter Zach Hester settled down after the first inning to retire the next nine batters he faced before leaving on a pitch count. Hester improved to 2-0 on the early season after throwing four full innings scattering three hits and three runs. The sophomore struck out five batters and walked three Salukis.
The Bengals responded right away. The first five batters reached base including a towering three-run home run over the pine trees in right by Horton to give LSU Eunice a 4-3 edge. The lefty was named the NJCAA National Player of the Week on Wednesday.
After adding three runs each in the second and third, the Bengals broke through another bomb. Austin Kirkpatrick followed up Koi Westbrook's RBI single with a towering two-run blast to left center. Kirkpatrick's second home run of the season gave LSUE a commanding 14-3 edge.
SW Tennessee fought back to cut the deficit to 19-10 and avoid a seven inning run rule, but Sam O'Brien's bases loaded walk ended the game early.
Brent Hebert led the Bengals offensively with a 3-for-5 evening scoring two runs and driving in three. Horton added a five RBI night with Kirkpatrick and Jacob Richard producing multi-RBI games.
The Bengals and Salukis will play a doubleheader at 3:00PM. You can watch the game on Bengals All-Access online at
www.lsuebengals.net and listen to the game on the Bayou Sports Network with Randy Guillory. For more news and information on all Bengals sports, make sure to log onto lsuebengals.net.
Fans can also follow the baseball team's Twitter (@LSUEBengalsBSB), Facebook (@LSUEuniceBaseball) and Instagram (@LSUEBengals) accounts.
