EUNICE, La – It's a formula all too familiar for Bengal fans in the Jeff Willis era – solid pitching, timely hits and aggressive base running.  It worked again to perfection as LSU Eunice scored a 9-0 season opening victory over LSU Alexandria on Friday at Bengal Stadium.
 
The Bengals (1-0) improved to 18-1 all-time under head coach Jeff Willis in season openers.
 
LSUE capitalized on Generals miscues, scoring seven unearned runs off five LSUA errors.  The Bengals first three runs came off a passed ball, wild pitch and sacrifice ground out.  Hunter Tabb (Scott, LA, Acadiana HS) would finally give LSUE its first earned run of the game in emphatic fashion, blasting a two-out solo home run to left field to give LSUE at 4-0 lead after three innings.
 
That was more than enough for Jerry Couch (Bossier City, LA, Airline HS) to earn the victory.  The sophomore twirled 5.1 innings of shutout baseball, limiting LSUA to three hits and one walk while striking out eight. 
 
Couch worked in traffic in the sixth, getting pulled with runners on the corners and one out.  Jacob Hammond (Monroe, LA, Ouachita HS) would keep LSUA scoreless with back-to-back strikeouts.  The duo of Couch and Hammond combined for 13 punch outs on the night.
 
LSUE would have get plenty of insurance late, as the Bengals played four in the eighth highlighted by Scott Jones' (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) bases loaded two RBI single.  Jones collected two of the team's four hits.

The Bengals would go on to record 9 stolen bases led by a pair of swipes from Thomas Stevens (Crowley, LA, Notre Dame HS), Peyton LeJeune (Church Point, LA, Teurlings Catholic HS) and Jones.

LSUE and LSUA will meet again tomorrow at Bengal Stadium.  First pitch on the Cajun Prairie is slated for 2:00PM.