EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Baseball learned to fight through adversity on Friday night, overcoming miscues to take an 8-6 win over Kellogg CC at Bengal Stadium. It was the start of a three-game series between the Bengals (12-0) and Bruins, two ranked teams in the preseason NJCAA polls.
The Bruins were the first to strike, plating four runs in the second inning. Kellogg connected on three two-out hits in the top half of the second inning to score their runs. LSUE matched them in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back two out run producing hits as a two-run
Grant Mangrum (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) single and RBI double by
Dawson Willis (Ruston, LA, Ruston HS) cut the deficit to 4-3.
LSUE would tie the game in the fifth with
Korey Cooper (Dickinson, TX, Dickinson HS) driving
Parker Coley (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS). Coley would help LSUE take a momentary lead in the seventh, scoring off a wild pitch.
After Kellogg tied the game again in the eighth, LSUE would push ahead for good with a three-run bottom half.
Alexander Saunier (Lafayette, LA, Lafayette HS) drove in the go ahead run with an RBI single and would later score on a wild pitch. Coley capped off the scoring with a run scoring double to make it 8-5 LSUE.
The sophomore trio of Saunier, Coley and Mangrum each had multi-hit games to pace the LSUE 10-hit output.
The bullpen held off Kellogg late as
Liam Watt (Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Nelson HS) picked up the win with a perfect eighth inning of relief.
Josh Gregoire (Baton Rouge, LA, Episcopal HS) grabbed his first save of the year, working around a hit, walk and earned run.
The series continues on Saturday with a single game at 2:00PM from Bengal Stadium.
