BEEVILLE, Tx. – LSU Eunice split a doubleheader with Coastal Bend in the Bengals' first road trip of the year. LSUE fell in Game One, 8-6, to drop its first game of the season.
The Bengals (11-1) responded with an emphatic 13-3 run that included an 11-run inning.
The Bengals and Cougars will play in a Saturday rubber match set for 12:00PM. Randy Guillory will have the call via live stream on the Bayou Sports Network.
For more news and information, follow the baseball team's Twitter (@LSUEBengalsBSB), Facebook (@LSUEuniceBaseball) and Instagram (@LSUEBengals) accounts.
GAME ONE
LSU Eunice surrendered a five-run sixth to fall for the first time this year, 8-6, to Coastal Bend. The contest was a scheduled seven inning game.
Both teams struck for a pair of runs in the first with LSUE getting on the board first thanks to a Tristan Welch sacrifice fly and Slate Fuller RBI single. Bo Gonzales tied the game in the bottom half of the first with a two-RBI double to left field.
Slate Fuller helped the Bengals regain the lead in the third with a ground ball RBI single to left field to plate Brent Hebert. Mason Templet followed a batter later with a double to score Tristan Welch, giving LSUE a 4-2 lead.
Fuller and Templet were two of four LSUE batters to record a pair of hits as the Bengals outhit Coastal Bend, 10-9.
Josh Burnett helped the Cougars cut the deficit with the first of two home runs sending a towering lead-off blast out to left field.
Cameron Horton drove in the final two runs for LSUE with a double in the fourth and single in the sixth to make it a 6-3 Bengals advantage.
Bengals starter Zach Hester was chased in the fifth inning after going 4.1 innings allowing three runs, one earned, off five hits and one walk. Hester added three strikeouts on the afternoon.
Coastal Bend started its rally in the sixth with a Joel Rodriguez sacrifice fly off reliever Austin Bradford. That ended Bradford's night after the sophomore pitched an inning, giving up three earned runs.
Landon Clifton's first pitch was sent by Josh Burnett to left field for a three-run home run as the Cougars took their first lead of the game, 7-6. Jordan Goechenour added an insurance run off a wild pitch
Mason Templet's one-out single all the Bengals could muster after Micah McHugh grounded out into a game ending double play to shortstop.
GAME TWO
LSUE used a monster 11-run frame to blow past Coastal Bend 13-3 and split Friday's doubleheader. The 11-spot was the most runs in a single frame since 12 against Olive-Harvey College on March 26, 2016 in a 16-3 victory.
The Bengals found themselves in an early 2-0 hole after LSUE starter Brent Hebert gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases. Hebert's only runs given up were off a Kyler Bumstead hit by pitch and Mitchell Sexton walk. A double play and pop out ended the Cougars inning.
After only one hit heading into the fourth frame, the Bengals piled up eight in the fourth including the first Bengals batters reaching base safely. Mason Templet started the scoring with a single to center followed two batters later by Tristan Welch's two-RBI double to give LSUE the lead for good, 3-2. Hayden Mixon, Slate Fuller, Micah McHugh and Nick Bellina also drove in runs in the 11-spot.
Mixon and Bren Faulk added two more runs in the sixth off a sacrifice fly and single, respectively. Mixon was one of four LSUE hitters to collect multi-hit games joinng Welch, Bellina and McHugh.
Brent Hebert improved to 3-0 on the season after throwing four full innings scattering those two runs off six hits and one walk. The two-way standout also recorded two strikeouts.
Nathan Holmes, Oliver Campbell and Dane Dixon combined for three innings of two hit relief, allowing one earned run.
