ELLISVILLE, Ms. – LSU Eunice Softball used timely hitting and pitching to push past Northwest Mississippi CC 3-2 on Wednesday to open the Region 23 Tournament at Jones College. The Bengals (40-18) advance in winner's bracket play with a scheduled Friday start time at 11:00AM.
Madison Prejean (Lafayette, LA, St. Thomas More HS) provided the big lift in more ways than one, making LSUE's first hit of the game count in a big way as she launched a towering three-run home run to left field. The Bengals would get the critical base runners on with a lead off error helping Sara Roussel reach safely, followed by a full count walk by
Maci Baldwin (Moss Bluff, LA, Sam Houston HS).
Katie Salling (Baton Rouge, LA, Parkview Baptist HS) added another base hit later in the inning before
Gabrielle Huetter's (Magnolia, TX, Magnolia HS) one-out single in the sixth would be the last Bengal base hit of the game.
That would set the stage for another gutsy performance in the circle by
Chloe Bennett (Rosepine, LA, Rosepine HS). The sophomore worked around a pair of solo home runs to grab her 24th win of the season in what was her 15th complete game of the season.
Bennett would force Northwest Mississippi to strand 12 runners on base, coming with clutch pitch after clutch pitch. None bigger coming in the sixth inning as the Rangers loaded the bases, but Bennett slammed the door as she got the strikeout looking to end the frame, one of six in the game.
The Rangers would get both of their runs on home runs, knocking solo shots in the fifth and seventh innings. Northwest would leave the go-ahead runners stranded in the seventh as Bennett induced a game ending fly out.
Bennett scattered seven hits and six walks while yielding those two earned runs.
LSU Eunice now awaits the winner of Wednesday night's game between host Jones College and Holmes Community College.
