EUNICE, La. – It may have been mid-March but Sunday's doubleheader against San Jacinto had all the makings of postseason softball as LSUE took a pair of nailbiters against the No. 8 Coyotes at Lady Bengal Field. LSU Eunice (18-8) extends its win streak to six games and stays a perfect 8-0 on the Cajun Prairie.
The Bengals used a sixth inning RBI triple from
Maci Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) to take a 5-4 victory over San Jacinto in the opener, followed by an eight inning 1-0 walk-off thriller.
LSUE used a pair of dominant outings in the circle as both
Chloe Bennett (Rosepine, LA, Rosepine HS) and
Cendall Barton (Elmer, LA, Alexandria Senior HS) picked up complete game wins.
The homestand continues Friday as Baton Rouge comes to the Cajun Prairie for a 4:00PM doubleheader.
Game 1 vs. San Jacinto College -W, 5-4
LSU Eunice rallied from a 3-0 hole and captured a thrilling 5-4 victory over San Jacinto to start Sunday's doubleheader.
The Bengals would see themselves down early after a solo home run in the first inning by San Jacinto was followed by a pair of runs in the third. LSUE would begin to fight back by manufacturing a pair of runs with the bases loaded.
LSUE would take the lead an inning later as Maci Baldwin ripped a two-run single to give LSUE the 4-3 advantage. San Jacinto would tie in the top of the sixth on an RBI double.
That would set the stage for more dramatics from Baldwin as the freshman laced a RBI triple to the right center field wall. Baldwin led the Bengals with a 2-for-3 game, driving in three runs and scoring once.
Baldwin and
Maddie Leal (Houston, TX, Spring HS) had multi-hit games in LSUE's six hit output.
Chloe Bennett would work in traffic in the seventh but strike out the final batter with two runners on to give LSUE the win. The freshman improved to 11-3 on the season after giving up four earned runs off seven hits and a walk while striking out eight batters.
Game 2 vs. San Jacinto College – W, 1-0 (8 Innings)
Ashlyn Roach (Calhoun, LA, West Ouachita HS) ripped a 2-2 pitch down the third base side that would send the LSUE dugout into celebration as the sophomore provided the dramatic 1-0 walk-off win over San Jacinto in eight innings. It is LSUE's first walk-off win of the season.
Maddie Leal would set the table for Roach with a lead-off single and score from first on the Roach double.
The late drama capped off a classic pitching duel that featured just five hits prior to that final at bat. Cendall Barton turned in one of her best performances with LSUE, going all eight innings to pick up her third victory the season.
Barton gave up just two hits in the shutout while issuing six walks and striking out a career-high six batters. She would retire the last 13 batters she faced in order.
The Coyotes would threaten in the first by loading the bases, but Barton would get a strikeout to squash the threat. Barton would have more traffic in the third and fourth, leaving a pair of Coyotes stranding both times.
LSUE would have its opportunities in the game, leaving the bases loaded in the third.
