EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Baseball rode the hot bat of
Parker Coley (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) to help guide the Bengals to a doubleheader sweep of Centenary College JV on Tuesday at Bengal Stadium. The Bengals (26-0) continued their hot start to the 2023 season, now the third longest win streak and second best start in the program's storied history.
LSUE would have to rally from early holes in both seven inning games, plating three straight three-run innings to score an 11-3 opener against the Gents. The Bengals grinded out a victory in the second game, 5-2. Coley played a critical role in each win, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs scored. The sophomore currently leads LSUE in batting average, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases.
The Bengals hit the road for a season long nine-game road swing. LSUE will play in Mississippi over the weekend with a Thursday doubleheader at Millsaps College and two games on Friday against Hinds Community College.
Game 1 vs. Centenary College – W, 11-3
LSU Eunice used a trio of crooked number innings to push past Centenary College 11-3 to open the day's doubleheader.
The Bengals found themselves in a 3-0 hole after Centenary pieced together four of its six hits in the game. After manufacturing a run in the bottom half of the inning, LSUE would take the lead for good with three runs in the third inning.
Grant Mangrum (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) led that charge with an RBI single to score Parker Coley.
Korey Cooper (Dickinson, TX, Dickinson HS) energized the Bengals an inning later with a two-run triple and score on a sacrifice fly by Mangrum. Coley kept the big hits going in the fifth with a towering two-run home run, his team's best third of the season. Mangrum capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to bring home
Reuben Williams (Prairieville, LA, Dutchtown HS).
Coley led LSUE with a 2-for-2 game, scoring three times and driving in two runs. Mangrum produced a season high 3 RBIs.
Six different pitchers saw action for LSUE with
Aiden Vosburg (Jarreau, LA, Catholic-Pointe Coupee HS) picking up the win. Vosburg (4-0) tossed 1.1 innings of one-hit relief, striking out a batter.
Game 2 vs. Centenary College – W, 5-2
LSUE would weather another strong start by Centenary College to push past the Gents in a 5-2 win.
Parker Coley was the early offense for LSUE with a RBI single and double sandwiched between two Centenary runs in the third inning.
Tyler Johnson (Kenner, LA, Brother Martin HS) gave LSUE the lead for good, scoring Coley on a RBI single in the third inning.
LSUE would get two insurance runs in the fourth as
Evan Joubert (Lake Charles, LA, St. Louis Catholic HS) scored on one of two Centenary errors, followed by a RBI single by
Alex Stevens (Crowley, LA, Notre Dame HS) to score
Alexander Saunier (Lafayette, LA, Lafayette HS).
Stevens, Saunier, Coley, Johnson and
Tanner Vadnais (Prairieville, LA, Dutchtown HS) all enjoyed multi-hit games in LSUE's 11-hit output.
Jacob Moore (Lacombe, LA, Lakeshore HS) grabbed his first win of the season after tossing two no-hit relief innings. Moore struck out three batters while issuing a walk.
Josh Gregoire (Baton Rouge, LA, Episcopal HS) picked up his fifth save of the year with a perfect final frame, striking out two batters.
