NICEVILLE, FL – LSU Eunice capped off its stay at the Jimmie Stewart Classic by taking one of its three games.  The Bengals fell to the number one and four ranked teams in NJCAA Division I.
 
LSU Eunice dropped a 9-3 decision to No. 1 Chipola College (28-0) and a near comeback against No. 4 Gulf Coast State (27-1) 6-5.  The Bengals defeated tournament host Northwest Florida State College 4-0 to help LSUE finish 3-2 in the two-day event.
 
The Bengals return home Monday for the start of a six-game homestand and play 12 of their next 14 at Lady Bengal Field.  LSU Eunice welcomes Southeastern CC (Iowa) for four games starting with a Monday doubleheader at 1:00PM.
 
GAME ONE
 
Chipola College scored nine unanswered runs and never looked back, taking down LSU Eunice 9-3 in the opener of day two at the Jimmie Stewart Classic.
 
The NJCAA Division I top-ranked Indians scored three runs in the second inning off of Bengals starter Morghan LaTour.  Chipola used a first-and-third double steal and an Amy Woodham two-run home run to chase LaTour.  Woodham's homer was one of three long balls for Chipola College on the afternoon.
 
LaTour (2-1) gave up four earned runs off five hits while striking out a batter.
Barbara Woll added a two-run home run an inning later to push the Indians edge to 5-0.  Chipola College tacked on three more in the fourth inning including another two-run long ball by Alexis Grampp.
 
The Bengals responded with three runs in the bottom half of the fourth with consecutive bases loaded walks and McKenzie King scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Emily Henderson paced the LSUE offense, collecting two of the Bengals' four hits and scoring a run.
 
Chipola ace Krystal Goodman picked up the win after going five full innings, allowing three earned runs off two hits and six walks.  Goodman also struck out seven LSUE batters.  Amy Woodham pitched two innings of scoreless relief.
 
Heidi Zumo and Jeanne Trahan took over for LaTour after the second inning. Zumo lasted 1.1 innings, surrendering five earned runs on four hits and two walks.  Trahna ended the game with 3.2 hitless innings to go along with three strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO
 
Heather Zumo won her ninth straight decision as the freshman ace pitched a complete game shutout to help LSU Eunice take down tournament host Northwest Florida State, 4-0.
 
The freshman gave up just two hits and one walks while striking out ten batters, her fourth double-digit strikeout effort of the season.  Zumo did not allow a Raider baserunner to reach third base.
 
LSUE struck for two runs in the second after Lakyn Wales led off with a single to left field.  Three batters later, Darian Doucet drove in Wales with a double to right.  Haley Godeaux used a sacrifice fly to score Ally Crooks a batter later to help the Bengals take a 2-0 advantage.
 
Wales did more damage in the fifth with a two-out two-RBI double to make it a 4-0 LSUE lead.  The recent LSU-Alexandria signee was one of four Bengals to post a multi-hit effort in a 12-hit game for LSU Eunice.
 
GAME THREE
 
The Bengals nearly rallied from a 6-1 hole, falling in the Jimmie Stewart Classic finale 6-5 to NJCAA Division I fourth-ranked Gulf Coast.
 
The Commodores took advantage of two two-out infield errors by LSUE to score a pair of runs in the opening frame.  Emily Henderson cut the deficit in half in the third inning with a run scoring single before Gulf Coast responded with two more in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Starter Jeanne Trahan was pulled after giving up a lead-off single for Heidi Zumo.  The freshman allowed a sacrifice fly and RBI-single to push the Gulf Coast advantage to 4-1.  Trahan (5-4) was tagged with the loss after going 2.1 innings allowing four runs, two earned, off two hits and two walks.
 
Kaylee Raines made it a 6-1 Gulf Coast game an inning later with a two-RBI double.
 
LSU Eunice made it interesting with a four-run fifth inning.  Mima Doucet led off the frame with a double, followed by a fly out and Sierra Gasca reaching on a dropped third strike call.  Emily Henderson plated both Doucet and Gasca with a double to right field, cutting the deficit to 6-3.  Darian Doucet's sacrifice grounder and a run scoring infield single by Ally Crooks made it 6-5.
 
Heather Zumo held serve for the Bengals in the circle, going the final 1.2 innings allowing just one hit.
LSUE would get a pair of singles in the final two innings, but could not sustain the threats.  Krstina
 
Manthei held the Bengal bats in check allowing four hits in 2.2 innings of shutout relief.  Kaylee Raines
notched the win after throwing the first two innings, not giving up a run off two hits.