VICKSBURG, Ms. – LSU Eunice Softball split its first day of action at the Hinds JUCO Classic on Friday. The Bengals (15-5) are one of several teams in the event hosted by the Sports Force Turf Complex in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
LSU Eunice used a pair of big innings and two home runs to score a 12-3 victory over Meridian CC while the Bengals would fall to Holmes 5-2 to close out the day's action.
Game 1 vs. Meridian CC – W, 12-3 (6 Innings)
LSUE used a power surge to take down Meridian 12-3 in six innings to start the Bengals' stay at the Hinds JUCO Classic. The Bengals turned a 2-2 game in the fourth inning into their fourth mercy rule win of the season.
LSUE would take the lead for good with a five-run fourth inning, headlined by a three-run double by
Madison Prejean (Lafayette, LA, St. Thomas More HS).
Katie Salling (Opelousas, LA, Parkview Baptist HS) would smash a solo home run in the fifth as both teams scratched a run in the frame to make it 7-3 LSUE. The Bengals would then pour it on four more runs in the sixth as
Abby Touchet (Shreveport, LA, C.E. Byrd HS) would end the game with a two-run home run to induce the mercy rule.
Touchet and Salling each had a pair of hits to lead the LSUE offense.
Allie Bland (Gramercy, LA, Lutcher HS) picked up the win after going four innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits with two strikeouts.
Chloe Bennett (Rosepine, LA, Rosepine HS) pitched the final two innings, giving up an earned run off a hit and walk to go along with three strikeouts.
Game 2 vs. Holmes CC – L, 2-5
The Bengals gave up a critical three-run inning as LSUE fell to Holmes 5-2 to end Friday's games.
LSUE found itself in a 3-0 hole in the third as the Bengals gave up a two-run home run and RBI single. The Bengals would claw back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame, a
Mari Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) win sacrifice RBI ground out.
That's as close as LSUE would get as Holmes would scratch runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Gabrielle Huetter (Magnolia, TX, Magnolia HS) would drive in a run in the sixth on a fielder's choice.
