FULTON, Miss. – LSU Eunice gutted out a pair of wins on Friday to advance to the Region 23 Championship Game. The Bengals (51-7) will face Pearl River tomorrow at 3:00PM in LSUE's 11th Region Title appearance in program history.
LSU Eunice upended Mississippi Gulf Coast, 9-6, in the first game of Friday action, followed by eliminating Itawamba, 14-7, in the nightcap.
The Bengals were led by a five-hit performance by Javier Vaz in the two victories, while River Town drove in a team-high five RBIs.
Game 1 vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast – W, 9-6
LSU Eunice used a pair of three-run innings to help push past Mississippi Gulf Coast, 9-6, in an elimination game. The Bengals notched their 50th win of the season, the ninth time LSUE has reached the half-century mark under Jeff Willis.
The Bengals used a three-run third inning to take its first lead of the game, 3-1, after a pair of RBI double from Slate Fuller and Austin Kirkpatrick, as well as a sacrifice fly by River Town. Fuller led the Bengals with a perfect 3-for-3 outing, scoring three runs.
Gulf Coast would answer with a pair of run in the third inning before LSUE took the lead for good in the fourth. LSUE would load the bases with no outs in the frame before Evan Keller helped LSUE regain the lead with a RBI single. Tristan Welch broke the game open with a two-out two-run single to bring home Kirkpatrick and Javier Vaz.
After the two teams swapped runs in the sixth, Vaz would push the Bengals ahead 9-4 with two-run home run, the freshman's first homer of the season. The Bulldogs got back within three, 9-6, with an eighth inning two-run home run before the Bengals closed out the game.
Jacob Spell delivered a masterful seven inning performance to improve to 5-1 on the season. Spell scattered four runs off four hits and a walk while striking out three batters. Tod Gauthe bridged the Bengals to Landon Clifton, who picked up his eighth save of the season with a perfect ninth.
Vaz, Fuller and Jarrett McDonald enjoyed multi-hit games in the Bengals' 13-hit attack.
Game 2 vs. Itawamba – W, 14-7
LSUE erased a five-run first inning deficit to take down Itawamba, 14-7, in the final elimination game of the Region 23 Tournament. The Bengals scored 14 unanswered runs to complete the come-from-behind victory.
ICC raced out to the quick lead with a five-run first off five hits and a walk. The Bengals pitching staff limited the Indians to five hits the remainder of the game.
LSU Eunice would start to chip away at the deficit with a River Town sacrifice fly in the second inning. The Bengals got within one run an inning later with two bases loaded walks and Austin Kirkpatrick's sacrifice fly.
Jerry Couch would turn in his best outing of the season, holding the Indians in check with 5.1 innings of scoreless relief. Couch scattered three hits and one walk while striking out five batters including retiring ten consecutive batters.
The Bengals tied the game, 5-5, in the sixth after Evan Keller led off the frame with a single and scored on Tristan Welch's double down the left field line. Welch would give LSUE its first lead of the game with a bases loaded RBI single in the eighth inning. The Bengals added two more in the frame to take an 8-5 advantage.
Jake Hammond helped keep ICC at bay with two innings of no-hit relief including a walk and four strikeouts. Hammond improved to 2-0 on the season with the victory.
LSUE went ahead for good with a six-run ninth inning fueled by a two-run triple by River Town and Hunter Tabb's bases clearing three-run triple to give LSUE a 14-6 lead.
Gage Trahan finished the ninth inning for LSUE, giving up three runs before securing the victory.
Javier Vaz enjoyed a season-high three hits on the night with Town, Keller and Welch also producing multi-hit games.
