DOTHAN, Ala. – LSU Eunice softball split its Friday action at the Dothan Invitational in a pair of games that had contrasting styles.  The Bengals outslugged Calhoun CC 14-6 in run-rule fashion, and then fell 3-1 to Wallace State CC in a pitching duel.
 
Gracie King (Winnsboro, LA, Franklin Parish HS) was the offensive catalyst in both games for the Bengals, belting home runs in each contest. 
 
LSUE will play another mid-day doubleheader tomorrow at James Oates Park beginning with Coastal Alabama CC-South at 1:30PM, followed by Southern Union State CC at 3:30PM.
 
Game 1 vs. Calhoun CC – W, 14-6
LSU Eunice would use a six-run inning to overcome and early deficit and jumpstart its offense in a 14-6 five inning mercy-rule victory.  It was the Bengals' third run-rule win of the young season.
 
Jessi Cary (Rayne, LA, Rayne HS) began the big frame with a RBI double, followed by LSUE taking the lead for good on a two-run error off a Morgan Harlow (Lake Charles, LA, Westlake HS) bunt.  It was one of two errors in the inning for the Warhawks.  Following another run off a Calhoun error, Jacie McFarlain (Pine Prairie, LA, Pine Prairie HS) capped off the frame with a two-out, two-run double to make it 6-2 LSUE.
 
After the teams would swap runs, the Bengals bust through for a three-run fourth headlined by a Karli Fontenot (Ville Platte, LA, Sacred Heart-Ville Platte HS) RBI double.  Calhoun would answer with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning to claw back to 10-6.
 
Gracie King would put an exclamation point on the game in the fifth with a towering three-run home run to straight away center.  Morgan Harlow would trigger the run-rule by inducing a bases loaded walk.
 
King enjoyed a perfect 4-for-4 game with three RBIs and two runs, while Jacie McFarlain had two of the team's five doubles on the game.  Karli Fontenot had her second three-hit game of the season.
 
Sydnei Simon (Rayne, LA, Notre Dame HS) put down Calhoun in order in the fifth inning to notch her second complete game of the season.  Simon (W, 2-0) would go five full inning, scattering six runs off nine hits and one walk while striking out a pair.
 
Game 2 vs. Wallace State CC – L, 1-3
LSU Eunice and Wallace State would trade home runs in the first inning and that was really the difference as the Bengals fell 3-1 what became a pitching duel.  After each team run-ruled opponents in their previous games of the game, the two combined for just four runs and ten hits.
 
LSUE was first to strike with Gracie King blasted a two-out solo home run to give the Bengals its only lead of the game.  Wallace State answered in its first at-bat with a two-run blast to take the lead.
 
Only two batters would reach second base the next two innings before the Bengals looked to finally have an answer.  Jacie McFarlain led off the fourth with a single and would advance on a passed ball to sit in scoring position.  The Bengals would go down in order from there to squash the threat.  The Bengals would get another runner in scoring position in the fifth, only to see a strikeout end that at-bat.
 
Wallace State would get a valuable insurance run in that inning after it would string together three consecutive hits.
 
Karli Ortego (Pine Prairie, LA, Pine Prairie HS) (L, 3-3) was tagged with the tough luck loss after giving up three earned runs off six hits while not issuing a walk or striking out a batter.