CARTHAGE, Texas – If the last two games are any indication, this edition of LSU Eunice Baseball will provide plenty thrills and not for the faint of heart. The Bengals provided late game dramatics, again, as LSU Eunice used a six-run 12th inning to get past Panola College 14-8 on Tuesday at Jim Reeves Memorial Field.
The more than four-hour marathon was the longest game for LSU Eunice (21-0) since its 14-inning thriller to win the 2021 NJCAA Division II National Championship against Western Oklahoma State College. It is the longest regular season game in the Jeff Willis era.
The Bengals found themselves in another early hole as Panola would strike for four runs in the second inning. The Ponies built their lead to 6-1 after a two-run home run in the fifth inning. That's when the Bengal bats would awaken, striking five runs in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead.
Parker Coley (Sterlington, LA, Sterlington HS) and
Zachary Thomas (Jesup, GA, Wayne County HS) would drive in a pair of runs in the inning before
Tanner Vadnais (Prairieville, LA, Dutchtown HS) delivered the go ahead RBI base hit.
LSUE was on the edge of getting out of Carthage with the win in regulation before Panola used a one-out sacrifice fly to tie the game. The Bengals, again, seemed to deliver the knockout blow in the 11th inning as
Evan Joubert (Lake Charles, LA, St. Louis Catholic HS) laced a two-out single to score Vadnais. Panola had other plans, sacrificing a run in again to send to the 12th.
The Bengals would finally put the game to rest in the 12th inning, striking for six runs off five hits.
Dawson Willis (Ruston, LA, Ruston HS) put LSUE up for good with a RBI single, before Vadnais added an insurance run a batter later. Joubert would put the game on ice with a two-out three-run home run to make it 13-8 Bengals.
Reuben Williams (Prairieville, LA, Dutchtown HS) added the final run of the game with an RBI double.
Blake Lobell (Holden, LA, Springfield HS) was able to corral the Ponies, working around a one-out single before striking out the final two batters of the game.
Josh Gregoire (Baton Rouge, LA, Episcopal HS) bounced back from giving up the ninth inning run to notch his first win with LSUE. The freshman tossed three innings, giving up two earned runs off one hit and two walks.
Alexander Saunier (Lafayette, LA, Lafayette HS) would provide a three-hit game, scoring twice in LSUE's 15-hit attack. Joubert's four RBIs all came in extra innings as the freshman would go 2-for-6 at the plate.
Nick Duplechain (Lafayette, LA, Iota HS), Willis and Vadnais were the other Bengals to notch multi-hit games.
