RAYMOND, Miss. – Heather Zumo's complete game shutout fueled LSU Eunice to a doubleheader sweep of Hinds CC on Monday at Rene T. Warren Field.  The Bengals (18-4) took three of four games on their Mississippi swing this week.
 
LSUE's bats struck early and often to key a 9-1 opening win over Hinds CC, followed by Zumo's gem in a 3-0 finale.  The Bengals have won the last 15 meetings against Hinds.
 
The Bengals have the rest of the week off before returning to the Magnolia State next Tuesday, March 5.  LSUE will play a pair of Region 23 opponents in the SMCC Softball Coke Challenge at Southwest Mississippi CC.  LSUE opens play with Copiah-Lincoln at 5:00PM, followed by the host, SMCC, at 7:00PM.
 
Game 1 vs. Hinds CC – W, 9-1 (6 Innings)
LSUE scored seven runs in the first two innings and never looked back as the Bengals secured a 9-1 mercy rule win over Hinds CC.
 
The Bengals came out on fire to start with the first eight batters reaching base.  Sara Tate (Bayou Chicot, LA, Pine Prairie HS) opened the game with a lead-off triple and be brought home on a Mallory Little (Opelousas, LA, Opelousas Catholic HS) single.  Hannah Smith (Lafayette, LA, Catholic-New Iberia HS), Jensen Howell (Alexandria, LA, Holy Savior Menard HS) and Rylie Candella (Centerville, LA, Centerville HS) would all drive in runs in the opening frame.
 
Jennifer Perkins (Lake Charles, LA, Barbe HS) would follow that up with a bases loaded double to clear the bases and push the LSUE lead to 7-0.
 
That was more than enough for Jensen Howell.  The sophomore improved to 7-2 on the season after pitching four shutout innings, giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out four batters.  Jeanne Trahan (Lake Charles, LA, Barbe HS) would pitch two innings of relief work.
 
The Bengals added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth inning, with Tate and Smith driving in runs.
 
Smith led the 13-hit attack with a perfect 4-for-4 outing, driving in two runs and scoring twice.  Tate, Little and Perkins would also collect multi-hit games.
 
Game 2 vs. Hinds CC – W, 3-0
Nearly one year to the day that Heather Zumo (Baton Rouge, LA, Central HS) pitched her first career complete game shutout, the LSUE ace did it again at Hinds to lead the Bengals to a 3-0 win.  It was Zumo's seventh complete game shutout in a Bengal uniform.
 
Zumo (8-1) scattered just one hit and one walk as the sophomore struck out six Hinds batters.  The Eagles went down in order the last five innings as Zumo retired the last 17 batters she faced.
 
Her first career shutout came on February 24, 2018 in a 7-0 win at Hinds.
 
Jen Perkins would prove the only offense Zumo would need with a two-out single to score Sara Tate in the first inning.  Kelci Bodin (New Iberia, LA, Loreauville HS)would play a role in both of LSUE's other runs, sacrificing in Madison Monson (Walker, LA, Walker HS) in the second inning and scoring off a Tate single in the fourth.
 
The Bengals only managed four hits off Hinds pitching.