BRANDON, Miss. – LSU Eunice softball's offense returned to form in emphatic fashion with a doubleheader sweep in the first day of play at the JUCO Classic at the Quarry. The Bengals (10-7) belted 27 runs on 23 hits in the two contest.
LSU Eunice scored its first shutout of the season in a 9-0 victory over Southwest Mississippi, and then smashed Meridian 18-3 in five innings. The freshman duo of
Jacie McFarlain (Pine Prairie, LA, Pine Prairie HS) and
Karli Fontenot (Ville Platte, LA, Sacred Heart-Ville Platte HS) paced the LSUE attack, driving in 11 of the team's runs.
The Bengals will play another doubleheader to close out the JUCO Classic on Saturday. LSUE opens with an 11:00AM game against Hinds CC, followed by a 1:00PM first pitch with East Central CC.
Game 1 vs. Southwest Mississippi – W, 9-0
LSUE used timely hits and a
Karli Ortego (Pine Prairie, LA, Pine Prairie HS) gem to score the Bengals' first shutout of the season in a 9-0 win over Southwest Mississippi.
The Bengals would get to work right out of the gates, scoring two runs in the first inning off an error and Jacie McFarlain sacrifice fly.
That would end up being all Ortego would need as the sophomore continues to be an early bright spot for the Bengals. The sophomore pitched all six innings, working out of jams in both the fourth and fifth innings. Ortego (W, 7-4) would finish with a career high 10 strikeouts, while scattering six hits and issuing one walk.
McFarlain's big game would continue in the third inning with a two-run double to push the LSUE lead to 4-0. The freshman capped off her five RBI outing with a two-run home run in the fifth.
Rylie Candella (Centerville, LA, Centerville HS) would follow a batter later with a pinch-hit home run to make it 7-0 LSUE.
LSUE would secure the run-rule victory with two runs in the sixth inning, coming off Karli Fontenot and Gracie King RBI singles. McFarlain, Fontenot and
Sydnei Simon (Rayne, LA, Notre Dame HS) would all notch multi-hit games with Fontenot going a perfect 3-for-3.
Game 2 vs. Meridian CC – W, 18-3
The LSU Eunice offense got going early and often as the Bengals pounded Meridian CC, 18-3, in a five-inning mercy rule victory. The 18-run outburst is the second most runs scored this season, behind a 20-13 victory over Lake Lane College during the first weekend of the campaign.
Mia Romero (Loreauville, LA, Loreauville HS) jumpstarted the Bengals' offense with a two-run double in the first inning to help LSUE push out to a 3-0 advantage. That lead would swell to 7-0 an inning later headlined by Karli Fontenot's two-run single.
Fontenot would come up clutch again an inning later with another two-run single to make it 9-1 LSUE.
After Meridian responded with a two-run home run, the Bengals roared back with a six-run fourth inning. LSUE used four hits and three Eagle errors to push ahead 16-3, capped off by a
Mallory Little (Opelousas, LA, Opelousas Catholic HS) two-run home run.
Sydnei Simon (W, 3-3) would go the full five innings to pick up her third win of the season. Simon gave up three runs off three hits and a walk while striking out three batters. The freshman also went 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and four runs scored.
