Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice Softball completed a Sunday sweep of Southern Arkansas University Tech to open the 2024 season at Lady Bengal Field.  The Bengals (2-0) won both games in run-rule fashion, a first in a season opening doubleheader in program history.
 
Katie Salling (Baton Rouge, LA, Parkview Baptist HS) led the offensive charge in the two mercy rule victories as the sophomore connected for four hits, driving in four runs and scoring four times.  She would hit three doubles and a home run.  Salling went 3-for-3 in LSUE's 9-0 opener as the Bengals followed that up with an 11-2 decision in five innings.
 
Reagan Rios (Longview, TX, Longview HS) tossed a no-hitter in her LSUE debut in the first game of the day.
 
LSUE closes out the four-game series with SAU Tech on Monday with a 1:00PM doubleheader.
 
Game 1 vs. Southern Arkansas University Tech – W, 9-0 (F/6 Innings)
LSU Eunice opened the 2024 season in style with a 9-0 win over SAU Tech in six innings.  The Bengals struck for a trio of three-run frames to induce the mercy rule win.
 
LSUE came out hot to start as four of the first five batters reached base safely.  Gracee Hess (Belle Chasse, LA, Belle Chasse HS) drove in the first run of the season on a single and would score off a Katie Salling RBI double.  Kate Rills (Gonzales, LA, East Ascension HS) capped the first inning with an RBI triple to pave the way for a shutout win.
 
That is all Reagan Rios would need to secure her first collegiate win.  Rios would toss a six-inning no-hitter against the Rockets, striking out five batters.  The freshman worked around nine free passes getting critical inning ending double play with the bases loaded in the second inning.  She is the first LSUE rookie to toss a no-hitter in her debut since Chloe Bennett during the 2022 season.
 
LSUE would add more runs in the later frames as a sacrifice fly, error and a Salling solo home run added three more in the fifth.  The Bengals triggered the mercy rule into effect after Salling's RBI double and Gracie Bailey's (Watson, LA, Live Oak HS) two-run double ended the game.
 
Salling paced the LSUE offense with three of its 10 hits while Hess was the other Bengal with a multi-hit game.
 
Game 2 vs. Southern Arkansas University Tech – W, 11-2 (F/5 Innings)
An eight-run third inning helped propel LSU Eunice to another run-rule victory over SAU Tech, 11-2, in five innings.  A balanced Bengal attack saw four different Bengals record multi-RBI games.
 
Gracee Hess scored the first run of the game in the opening inning as she worked a walk, stolen base and two passed balls to score.
 
The Bengals would turn to the bats in the third inning as the first eight batters reached safely.  Hess again triggered the LSUE attack with a RBI single, followed by a two-run double by Katie Salling.  Kamryn Howard (Iowa, LA, Iowa HS) drove in a pair on a bases loaded line drive, followed three batters later by a pinch-hit two run single from Hadley Lemons (Kinder, LA, Kinder HS) to close out the scoring.
 
After SAU Tech answered in the top half of the fourth with two runs, LSUE put two more on the board as a pair came into score off a sacrifice fly from Sina Ballew (Pineville, LA, Buckeye HS).
 
The tandem of McKenna Howell (Pollock, LA, Grant HS) and Cate Nettles (Slidell, LA, Slidell HS) would see action in the circle as Howell picked up the win.