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Box Score 2 EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Softball would snag a pair of wins on Friday as the Bengals opened their weekend series against National Park College. The Bengals (8-4) secured their third doubleheader sweep of the early season.
The top of the LSUE lineup did the most damage during the pair of games as
Sara Roussel (Luling, LA, Hahnville HS) and
Gracee Hess (Belle Chasse, LA, Belle Chasse HS) combined for 7 of the team's 16 hits over the two games. LSUE would break ties in the fifth inning in both games, taking game one 5-3 and game two 6-3. The freshman pitching duo of
McKenna Howell (Pollock, LA, Grant HS) and
Reagan Rios (Longview, TX, Longview HS) would each toss complete games.
LSU Eunice wraps up the weekend with another twinbill against the Nighthawks starting Saturday at 12:00PM from Lady Bengal Field.
Game 1 vs. National Park College- W, 5-3
LSU Eunice used the arm and bat of McKenna Howell to help take down National Park College 5-3 to start the weekend series against the Nighthawks. In addition to tossing a complete game, Howell would drive in two runs including the go ahead run in the fifth.
Howell laced an RBI single down the left field side to score Gracee Hess and break a 3-3 tie in the fifth. She would receive a valuable insurance run a few batters later as Hadley Lemons punched a sacrifice fly to center.
The freshman pitcher would do the rest, working around a seventh inning error to retire six of the next seven batters she faced following the Bengals regaining the lead. Howell (3-2) worked around seven hits and two walks, giving up three earned runs. She would strike out one batter.
LSUE found itself in an early 2-0 hole after National Park came out hot to start, plating a pair in the first. The Bengals answered right back, and
Reagan Duty (Mont Belvieu, TX, Barbers Hill HS) delivered a RBI double followed by
Kate Rills (Gonzales, LA, East Ascension HS) singling home Duty to tie the game up.
Howell temporarily gave LSUE the lead in the third with a sacrifice fly RBI before the Nighthawks would knot the game up in the top of the fifth.
Gracee Hess led the LSUE offense with a 3-for-4 game as she was joined by Sara Roussel with a multi-hit outing.
Game 2 vs. National Park College- W, 6-3
It was more late game heroics for LSU Eunice softball as the Bengals would grab key hits on their way to a 6-3 win over National Park to take the Friday doubleheader.
Sina Ballew (Pineville, LA, Buckeye HS) connected on a fifth inning hit-and-run as she knocked a line drive to right center, allowing
Kamryn Howard (Iowa, LA, Iowa HS) to motor all the way from first and score the go ahead run.
Hadley Lemons (Kinder, LA, Kinder HS) would scratch another run across as she reached safely on a bunt, scoring Ballew to give LSUE a 5-3 lead.
The Bengals added a sixth inning run as Reagan Duty doubled home Sara Roussel.
Reagan Rios slammed the door closed after LSUE regained the lead, sitting down the last six batters of the game including four strikeouts. Rios (4-2) also hurled a complete game as she struck out 11 batters while giving up three runs off seven hits and two walks.
LSUE raced out to a quick lead after scoring a pair of runs in the opening inning. The Bengals used small ball as a National Park error and sacrifice to the pitcher helped bring home two runs. After National Park tied in the second, LSUE temporarily regained the lead off a Roussel RBI double.
Roussel led the way offensively, going 2-for-2 with a RBI and two runs scored. She also reached base with two walks.
