EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice closed out the home portion of the 2019 schedule in style with a pair of run-rule victories over Tyler JC on Saturday at Bengal Stadium. LSUE (46-5) finished an impressive 27-1 at Bengal Stadium.
LSU Eunice secured mercy-rule victories in all three games against the Apaches. The Bengals used a five-run third inning to upend TJC, 10-0, in Game One followed by an 11-1 decision. The shutout was the team's 12th of the season, tying the single-season record set by the 2015 squad.
The weekend marked LSUE's 10th straight series (three games or more against same opponent) victory of the season and 29th consecutive overall, dating back to the 2017 season.
LSUE closes out the regular season with a trip to two-time defending NJCAA Division I Champions, Chipola College. The Bengals will face the Indians on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 both at 11:00AM. LSU Eunice will also play St. Johns River State College at 2:00PM on Saturday, May 4 at Chipola.
Game 1 vs. Tyler JC – W, 10-0 (6 Innings)
Dane Dixon continued his stellar sophomore season and the bats produced another double digit output as LSU Eunice cruised past Tyler JC, 10-0, in six innings. The shutout marked the team's 12th of the season and third with Dixon as the starting pitcher.
Dixon (W, 12-0) scattered six hits in six full innings of work, striking out eight batters. The Bengals' defense helped keep the shutout in tact with a relay throw from Nick Bellina and Javier Vaz to throw out an Apache baserunner at the plate in the fourth inning.
LSUE opened with a three-run first inning as the Bengals operated with the bases loaded for the majority of the frame. Slate Fuller and Jack Merrifield both drove in runs followed by a run scored off a TJC double play. Evan Keller would push the LSUE lead to 4-0 with a RBI double in the second inning.
Keller capped off a five-run third inning with a two-run single to make it a 9-0 LSUE advantage. Nick Bellina began the frame with a two-run single, sandwiched between a run scored off a TJC error.
Keller went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Merrifield led the nine-hit LSUE attack with a three-hit contest.
Merrifield would secure the mercy-rule victory with a RBI triple in the sixth inning to score Keller.
Game 2 vs. Tyler JC – W, 11-1 (7 Innings)
The heart of the LSUE lineup paved the way for another mercy-rule win over Tyler JC, taking down the Apaches, 11-1, in seven innings to close out the weekend sweep. The two through five-hole hitters accounted for six hits, six RBIs and five runs scored.
Slate Fuller opened the scoring with a RBI single in the first inning and again do damage in a critical five-run third. After Evan Keller singled home River Town, Fuller struck for a double to plate Keller. Jack Merrifield would bring home two more runners a batter later to increase the LSUE margin to 5-0. Austin Kirkpatrick ended the big frame with a run scoring single.
The Bengals added two more in the fourth including a RBI double by Jarrett McDonald. Following TJC's lone run of the day, River Town and Brooks Rushworth's RBIs put the Bengals back to double digit runs, and a wild pitch would end the day in walk-off fashion.
McDonald and Fuller were the lone Bengals to have multi-hit games.
Jacob Spell enjoyed another solid outing to solidify his position in the rotation. Spell (W, 4-0) hurled six innings, giving up one earned run off five hits and a walk to go along with four strikeouts. Tod Gauthe' finished the game with one inning of perfect relief including two strikeouts.
