EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice softball ended its home portion of the 2022 season in emphatic style with a pair of blowout victories over Dallas Christian College on Wednesday at Lady Bengal Field. LSUE (28-14) will end the regular season on a 12-game road swing before playing in the Region 23 Tournament in Mississippi next month.
The Bengals used three huge innings in an eye-popping 25-1 victory in the opener against the Crusaders, followed by an 11-3 win in six innings.
The offensive showcase saw LSUE combine for 34 hits, 17 being for extra bases. The Bengals had 14 different players record and hit and score a run.
LSU Eunice will take off this weekend to celebrate Easter and return to the field next Saturday with a doubleheader at Bossier Parish CC.
Game 1 vs. Dallas Christian – W, 25-1 (5 Innings)
LSU Eunice struck early and often with a dominating 25-1 win over Dallas Christian in five innings. The Bengals set single-game season highs for runs, hits, doubles, triples and home runs in the contest.
It's the most runs for the Bengals in a single game since LSUE scored 28 in a victory against Alvin CC during the 2019 season.
LSUE opened the game with an eight-run inning, using seven hits, an error, and a walk. The Bengals scored six of the runs in the frame with two outs including RBI doubles from
Abby Touchet (Shreveport, LA, C.E. Byrd HS),
Maci Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) and
Maddie Leal (Houston, TX, Spring HS).
After
Ashlyn Roach (Calhoun, LA, West Ouachita HS) would add another un in the second, LSUE would blow the game open with a six-run third inning.
Madison Diaville (Livingston, LA, Doyle HS) highlighted the frame with a two-run homer to center field, her team's best seventh long ball of the season.
The icing on the cake would be a ten-run fourth frame with home runs from
Mikayla Cashdollar (Glenmora, LA, University Academy) and
Emily Hoover 's(Hammond, LA, St. Thomas Aquinas HS) grand slam. Six different players would record multi-hit games while six players would also record multiple RBIs.
Hoover paced the LSUE offense with a 2-for-2 game, driving in four runs while scoring twice.
Chloe Bennett (Rosepine, LA, Rosepine HS) (17-4) picked up the win with three perfect innings, striking out eight of the nine batters she faced.
Cendall Barton (Elmer, LA, Alexandria Senior HS) finished the final two frames, giving up a run off two hits and a walk.
Bennett's 17 wins are the second most in NJCAA Division II.
Game 2 vs. Dallas Christian – W, 11-3 (6 Innings)
A six-run third inning helped guide LSU Eunice to another mercy rule win over Dallas Christian, taking the doubleheader finale 11-3. The Bengals closed out the home schedule with a 17-5 record.
LSUE would turn a 3-2 game into a seven-run lead highlighted by
Janey Cheramie's (Lockport, LA, Vandebilt Catholic HS) two-run home run.
Jessi Cary (Rayne, LA, Rayne HS) also added a two-run triple in the inning.
After
Grace Saizan (Mandeville, LA, Fontainebleau HS) brought home a run in the fifth inning,
Mari Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) helped the Bengals walk off with the win in the sixth inning with a grounder to second base that would score Maddie Leal.
Brooke Taylor (New Orleans, LA, Thomas Jefferson HS) led the LSUE 15-hit attack with a 3-for-3 afternoon including a pair of doubles. Four other Bengals would have multi-hit games including the first of the year for Grace Saizan and Cheramie.
Emma Shepherd (Athens, LA, Claiborne Academy) would toss a complete game to improve to 7-6 on the season. Shepherd would scatter three runs off 11 hits while also striking out a season-high 10 batters.
