EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Baseball saw its offense come alive in a big way as the Bengals completed the weekend series sweep of Monroe College with a pair of mercy rule victories on Sunday at Bengal Stadium. The Bengals (11-0) roared to a combined 24 hits and 28 runs in just 12 innings of action.
LSUE struck for back-to-back nine run innings to start the day on its way to a 18-1 opener, followed by a seven-run frame in the seventh to secure a 14-4 run-rule to close the four-game series.
The Bengals offense put together an impressive weekend, outscoring the Mustangs 56 to 10 with three mercy rule victories.
LSUE closes out its 14-game homestand to start the year with a weekend series against Kellogg Community College beginning Friday at 6:00PM.
Game 1 vs. Monroe College – W, 18-1
Alexander Saunier (Lafayette, LA, Lafayette HS) finished a triple shy of the cycle as the sophomore helped spark an offensive showcase for LSUE in an 18-1 victory in five innings over Monroe College.
Saunier helped engineer a nine-run first inning, having a hand in five of the runs. After doubling and scoring on a bases loaded hit by pitch, Saunier launched a two-out grand slam to break open the game for good. LSUE would score seven runs in the pivotal first inning with two outs.
The Bengals followed that up with nine more runs in the second, five coming with two outs.
Bennett Clement (St. Francisville, LA, West Feliciana HS),
Brad Griffin (Sydney, Australia, Endeavour Sports HS) and
Korey Cooper (Dickinson, TX, Dickinson HS) would each produce two RBI hits in the inning.
Saunier and Griffin would each go 3-for-3 on the game, combining for seven RBIs and five runs scored. Cooper, Clement and
Grant Mangrum (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) would also grab multi-hit games in LSUE's 14-hit game.
Parker Webb (Fayetteville, TN, Lincoln County HS) picked up the win after three innings of work, getting out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning unscathed. Webb scattered one hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Liam Watt would strike out four batters in two relief innings while giving up one unearned run on three hits.
Game 2 vs. Monroe College – W, 14-4
LSU Eunice used a seven-run inning to trigger a walk-off run rule victory 14-4 over Monroe College and capture the four-game series sweep.
The Bengals sprinted out to a 7-0 lead after five innings, plating four runs in the third inning.
Zachary Thomas (Jesup, GA, Wayne County HS) started the scoring with a two run single followed by back-to-back RBI doubles by
Parker Coley (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) and
Nick Duplechain (Lafayette, LA, Iota HS).
Dawson Willis (Ruston, LA, Ruston HS) launched a two-run home run in the fourth while Duplechain scored on a wild pitch in the fifth.
Monroe would not go down easily, scoring four in the sixth off an error, wild pitch and two sacrifice ground outs.
That would only rejuvenate the LSUE offense, scoring seven runs off four hits, two walks and two errors.
Evan Joubert (Lake Charles, LA, St. Louis Catholic HS) induced the mercy rule with a bouncer to first, causing a Mustang error and scoring a pair of runs.
Thomas led LSUE with a 2-for-3 game, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Duplechain added a multi-hit game of his own in LSUE's 10-hit output.
Blake Lobell (Holden, LA, Springfield HS) snagged the win with five scoreless innings. The freshman scattered three hits and a walk to go along with eight strikeouts.
