POPLARVILLE, Ms.- LSU Eunice pitcher Chloe Bennett's record setting performance highlighted a Tuesday split for Bengals softball at Pearl River CC. LSUE's twinbill was part of a three-team day of games between the Bengals, Pearl River and Lamar State College.
Bennett (Rosepine, LA, Rosepine HS) would strike out a single-game record 16 batters as LSUE upended Pearl River, 4-3. LSUE would fall in the earlier contest of the day to Lamar State, 3-2.
LSUE continues its road trip with a four-game weekend at the Sun Chief Classic in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Bengals face off with John A. Logan College and Snead State CC on Friday.
Game 1 vs. Lamar State College – L, 2-3
Three errors would prove costly for LSU Eunice as the Bengals could not complete a comeback attempt, falling to Lamar State 3-2.
LSUE would take an early lead after
Skylar Cheek (Ponchatoula, LA, Ponchatoula HS) doubled home a run in the second inning. The Seahawks would answer, plated two runs in the third. Both runs would come off two outs as LSUE would commit two errors in the inning.
After Lamar State added a run in the fifth, the Bengals' comeback effort would fall just short. LSUE would get its first two base runners of the sixth inning on but could only manage a single run, leaving the bases loaded.
LSUE would outhit Lamar State 6-4, leaving nine runners on base in the game.
Emma Shepherd (Athens, LA, Claiborne Academy) was tagged with loss after tossing four innings, giving up three runs, two earned, while giving up four hits, two walks and striking out four batters.
Game 2 vs. Pearl River CC – W, 4-3
LSU Eunice pitcher Chloe Bennett struck out a single-game record 16 batters as LSU Eunice held on for a 4-3 victory over Pearl River to close out the doubleheader.
Bennett eclipsed the previous single-game record of 15, held by Raven Cole. Cole, the National Pitcher of the Year in 2015, reached the previous mark twice that season including a game against Pearl River.
The Rosepine product had a dominant start to her night, striking out the first 10 batters she faced. Bennett would all just three hits, giving up a walk and hit by pitch.
While LSUE's pitching shined early, the bats came alive later. The Bengals blasted three home runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-0 lead.
Lauren Adams (Friendswood, TX, Friendswood HS) got the scoring started with a solo shot in the fifth, followed by a two-run long ball by
Madison Diaville (Livingston, LA, Doyle HS) and solo homer from
Ashlyn Roach (Calhoun, LA, West Ouachita HS) a few batters later.
Diaville was the only Bengal to record multiple hits on the evening.
PRCC would make a late charge with a sixth inning solo home run and then gave Bennett all she could handle in the final at bat. The Wildcats creep to within one run, have two runners in scoring position before the LSUE ace struck out her 16th batter to end the game.
Following Tuesday's action in the NJCAA, Bennett currently leads the nation with 38 strikeouts on the season.
