EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Baseball saw its early season success continue as the Bengals took down Monroe College 13-1 on Saturday in a run-rule shortened game at Bengal Stadium. It was the Bengals' (9-0) fifth mercy rule win of the season so far and eighth game scoring double digit runs.
Despite the lopsided score it was actually Monroe striking first with a third inning run. After the Mustangs' run, the LSUE pitching staff would retire 14 of the 17 batters it faced with one runner reaching scoring position.
The LSUE offense would respond to the deficit in in impressive fashion, striking for five runs in the bottom half of the inning. After
Alexander Saunier (Lafayette, LA, Lafayette HS) tied the game with a RBI single,
Zachary Thomas (Jesup, GA, Wayne County HS) sent the dugout into a frenzy with a moon shot three-run home run.
Nick Duplechain (Lafayette, LA, Iota HS) closed the scoring in the inning with an RBI single.
The Bengals would add five more runs in the fourth, using two bases loaded walks, a wild pitch, a Duplechain sacrifice RBI and
Korey Cooper (Dickinson, TX, Dickinson HS) RBI single to make it 10-1 LSUE.
Walker Bridges (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) would secure the run-rule with a two-run triple while Barham White closed out the scoring with a RBI single to plate Bridges.
Andrew Lee (Lafayette, LA, Ascension Episcopal HS) and
Evan Joubert (Lake Charles, LA, St. Louis Catholic HS) produced multi-hit games in LSUE's 12-hit output as the pair combined to score five times from the bottom of the Bengal lineup. Thomas led LSUE with a four RBI day while Bridges and Duplechain also drove in a pair of runs.
Owen Schexnaydre (Houma, LA, Vandebilt Catholic HS) grabbed the win, going five innings while scattering three hits and a walk to go along with four strikeouts.
Connor Benge (Montgomery, TX, Montgomery HS) yielded a hit and a walk with two punchouts in two relief innings.
LSUE closes out the four-game series with Monroe College with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1:00PM.
