GALVESTON, Tx. – LSU Eunice captured a win over Navarro College to close out the final day of the Island Invitational at Galveston College. The Bengals (3-2) would suffer setbacks to San Jacinto, 11-9, and Blinn, 5-2.
LSU Eunice will come home for the only time in the next six weeks with the inaugural Bengal Classic. The Bengals will be in action 9:30AM on Friday against Southern Union State.
San Jacinto College – L, 11-9
San Jacinto scored five unanswered runs to force extra innings and hand LSU Eunice an 11-9 setback in eight innings. The Coyotes would tie the game, 9-9, with three runs in the seventh inning with two outs.
LSU Eunice scored in bunches, plating three-run frames three separate times. Jensen Howell's two-run single in the second gave the Bengals the lead, 3-1, while Hannah Smith's two-run double in the fourth pushed LSUE's lead to 6-2.
Mallory Little's RBI double in the sixth helped LSUE take a 9-6 advantage heading into the final inning.
Jensen Howell (1-1) was tagged with the loss after tossing 3.1 innings, giving up four runs, two earned, off five hits and three walks while striking out three. Heather Zumo received a no decision after pitching 4.2 innings while giving up six runs, none of them earned.
Blinn College – L, 5-2
LSU Eunice could not capitalize on an eight-hit effort as the Bengals fell to Blinn College, 5-2.
The Bengals had their best chance to rally in the fifth inning. LSUE would load the bases with Hannah Smith and Mallory Little's singles sandwiched between a Jensen Howell walk. A pair of infield flies and a line out would squash the threat.
Blinn would use back-to-back two run frames to take a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning.
Abbey Higginbotham tied the game in the second with a sacrifice fly and Jensen Howell pulled the Bengals within a run a frame later with an RBI single.
Navarro College – W, 9-6
A four-run seventh inning helped LSU Eunice come from behind to defeat Navarro College 9-6. Abby Trahan's RBI double highlighted the rally that saw the Bengals also plate runs on an error and sacrifice fly.
Jensen Howell (2-1) secured the win by sitting down the Bulldogs in order in the seventh to pick up her second win of the season. Howell pitched two innings of perfect relief for Heidi and Heather Zumo.
Mallory Little and Hannah Carpenter paced LSUE with a four-run third inning to give LSUE a brief 5-4 lead before Navarro went back ahead an inning later. Little's two-run single was followed up three batters later by Carpenter's RBI base hit.
Little joined Jensen Howell with a team-high two RBIs to propel the Bengals offense.
