Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Softball scored in bunches as the Bengals secured a Thursday doubleheader sweep of Coastal Alabama CC-South at Lady Bengal Field. LSUE (27-10) saw 12 of its 18 runs scored over the two games against Sky Chiefs come in just two innings.
The Bengals would use a five-run third inning to grab control of the opener, defeating CACC-South 9-3. LSUE then struck for seven runs to erase an early hole as the Bengals took the finale 9-6.
LSUE hits the road for a 12-game road trip starting on Saturday at Blinn College. The doubleheader from Brenham, Texas gets underway at 2:00PM.
Game 1 vs. Coastal Alabama CC-South – W, 9-3
LSU Eunice used a five-run surge in the third inning to push past Coastal Alabama CC-South in a 9-3 victory to start the day's doubleheader.
The Bengals found themselves in a tie game, 3-3, going into the bottom of the third after the Sky Chiefs lifted a two-run home run, their second of the game. LSUE responded in a big way as the Bengals quickly loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning. After
Maddie Chretien (Lake Charles, LA, Barbe HS) induced a walk to give LSUE the lead back for good,
Gracie Bailey (Watson, LA, Live Oak HS) provided a knockout punch with a two-run double. It was Bailey's second two-RBI base hit of the day.
Skylar Cheek (Ponchatoula, LA, Ponchatoula HS) would manufacture another run on a sacrifice ground out before
Maci Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) followed with an RBI double to make it 8-3 Bengals.
That would be enough for
Chloe Bennett (Rosepine, LA, Rosepine HS), who improved to 16-4 on the season. Bennett tossed 4.1 innings, giving up three earned runs off five hits and two walks. She would strike out four batters.
Landri Campbell (Olla, LA, LaSalle HS) turned in one of her best performances of the season in relief, twirling 2.2 innings of two-hit shutout work with five punch outs.
Bailey was joined offensively by
Sara Roussel (Luling, LA, Hahnville HS),
Madison Prejean (Lafayette, LA, St. Thomas More HS) and
Katie Salling (Opelousas, LA, Parkview Baptist HS) with multi-hit games.
Game 2 vs. Coastal Alabama CC-South – W, 9-6
The Bengals fought back from a six-run hole to score a dramatic 9-6 win over CACC-South and sweep the Sky Chiefs. It was the largest deficit this season that LSUE has overcome for a victory.
LSUE found itself in a 6-0 hole after 1.5 innings of play thanks to a pair of two-run home runs by the Sky Chiefs in the first inning and a two-run single in the second. The Bengals were held in check the first half of the game, managing just two hits in the first three innings.
The Bengals would come alive in the fourth inning, striking for seven runs. LSUE would see its first seven batters reach base safely as
Gabrielle Huetter (Magnolia, TX, Magnolia HS) started the comeback with a two-run single. After a bases loaded walk and
Mari Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) RBI single, the Bengals would manufacture the final two runs of the big inning on sacrifice hits.
Sara Roussel and
Mari Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS) added two more runs for the Bengals in the bottom of the sixth with run scoring singles.
LSUE would give the ball to Chloe Bennett in the fourth inning to keep the Sky Chiefs at bay. Bennett tied the NJCAA lead with her 17th victory of the season, tossing four shutout relief frames while scattering three hits. Bennett added three strikeouts to her nation's best total of 176.
The Bengals got multi-hit games from Mari Baldwin, Katie Salling and Touchet.
