EUNICE, La. – As the weather warms in south Louisiana it seems that LSU Eunice Baseball's bats have as well as the Bengals outlasted East Central CC 12-10 on Saturday at Bengal Stadium. LSUE (19-0) has scored double digit 16 times already less than halfway through the 2023 season.
It took a few innings for the Bengals' offense to wake up but when it did, it did in a big way. LSUE was held hitless through the first two innings and fell behind 1-0. The Bengals exploded for six runs off four hits and four free passes. After
Zachary Thomas (Jesup, GA, Wayne County HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game,
Parker Coley (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) unleashed a bases clearing double to give the Bengals a 4-1 edge.
Korey Cooper (Dickinson, TX, Dickinson HS) and
Walker Bridges (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) would produce the other runs in the inning.
East Central, however, answered right back with six runs of its own on just two hits as the Warriors used four walks and one of five LSUE errors. ECCC would score a run in each of the next three innings, all coming unearned after a Bengal fielding miscue.
The Bengals would find themselves in a 10-9 hole entering the eighth inning and would use small ball to put pressure on East Central. After back-to-back walks to start the inning, Cooper would lay down a perfectly placed bunt to load the bases. LSUE would tie the game on another walk before
Grant Mangrum (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) gave the Bengals the lead for good with short fly ball to right field that would land safely.
Collin Husser (Ponchatoula, LA, Ponchatoula HS) worked another bases loaded walk to give LSUE the 12-10 lead.
Josh Gregoire (Baton Rouge, LA, Episcopal HS) would hold the Warriors scoreless in the ninth but not without drama, inducing a groundout with runners on the corners.
Aiden Vosburg (Jarreau, LA, Catholic-Pointe Coupee HS) was tabbed with the win after tossing 2.1 innings of relief, giving up one unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Cooper, Bridges and
Andrew Lee (Lafayette, LA, Ascension Episcopal HS) collected multi-hit games for the Bengals as Coley led the team with three RBIs.
