EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice baseball continue its midseason tear with a pair of victories over Delgado CC on Saturday at Bengal Stadium. LSUE (32-3) won its 15th straight game of the season, the longest of the season. The Bengals started the campaign on a 14-game run.
The Bengals needed a dramatic comeback in the opener with the Dolphins, rallying from a late six-run hole to take an 8-7 victory in extra innings. LSUE closed out the week by grinding out a 4-1 decision in the nightcap.
LSUE swept Delgado in its first meetings in four years. The two side will collide again for another four-game set later this season.
The Bengals head on the road Monday to face off with Centenary College, followed by a Wednesday road date at Baton Rouge CC. LSUE hosts BRCC next Saturday, April 10, for a 2:00PM doubleheader.
Game 1 vs. Delgado CC – W, 8-7 (10 inn.)
LSU Eunice rallied from a 7-1 deficit in the eighth inning to score a dramatic 8-7 victory against Delgado in 10 innings. It was the Bengals' first extra inning game of the season.
The Bengals only had two hits going into the penultimate inning, using two hits in the third inning to score a run. LSUE used three hits in the eighth with the first seven batters reaching base safely.
Hunter Tabb (Scott, LA, Acadiana HS) got the rally started with a RBI double, followed by a two-run single from
Jarrett McDonald (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS). After
Beau Kirsch (Lafayette, LA, Acadiana HS) was hit by a pitch to walk in McDonald, a balk allowed
Scott Jones (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) to score.
Peyton LeJeune (Church Point, LA, Teurlings Catholic HS) tied the game with a sacrifice ground out to bring home Thomas Stevens.
Jacob Hammond (Monroe, LA, Ouachita HS) delivered a dominant relief performance, allowing two hits with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth and tenth innings. Hammond picked up the win to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Kirsch led off the tenth with a single and advanced to third after a
Bryce LaRocca (Lake Charles, LA, Barbe HS) sacrifice bunt and wild pitch.
Brady Hebert (Baton Rouge, LA, Catholic-Baton Rouge HS) connected on a deep fly ball to plate the winning run.
LSUE fell into a 7-1 hole after allowing the Dolphins to score in each of the first four innings. Brennan Lambert led the Delgado cause with a 3-hit, 3-RBI game.
Hunter Tabb was the lone Bengal with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored.
Game 2 vs. Delgado CC – W, 4-1
LSUE used early offense and a solid effort on the mound to take down Delgado CC, 4-1, to close out the series with the Dolphins.
Jack Merrifield (Prairieville, LA, Dutchtown HS) provided the big hit in the third inning, blasting a two-run opposite field home run off the right field foul pole to give LSUE a 2-0 lead. The Bengals would strike for two more the next inning, using a
Kole Myers (Jennings, LA, Jennings HS) sacrifice fly and Brady Hebert RBI single.
Merrifield and Hebert both collected three hits to lead the LSUE cause.
That was more than enough for
Cade Hart (Shreveport, LA, Calvary Baptist HS), making his second start. The freshman subdued Delgado in five innings, scattering one earned run off five hits and a walk.
Austin Andrishok (Baton Rouge, LA, Catholic-Baton Rouge HS) picked up his first save by tossing two scoreless innings, giving up just two hits with two strikeouts.
