POPLARVILLE, Ms. – LSU Eunice Baseball continued its pitching clinic in Poplarville on Thursday night as the Bengals used an Owen Schexnaydre (Houma, LA, Vandebilt Catholic HS) complete game shut out to eliminate Pearl River CC in a 10-0 six inning run-rule from the Region 23 Tournament.  The Bengals (51-7) advance to the tournament championship where they will have a rematch with Jones College set for 2:00PM on Friday.
 
Schexnaydre (15-0) dominated the Wildcats from the jump, handing Pearl River its first shutout since the 2020 season.  The sophomore scattered four hits and one hit batter while striking out seven for his first complete game clean sheet of the season.
 
The Houma native produced his 15^th win of the season, tying Chance Mistric for the single-season program record set back in 2009.  Schexnaydre would sit down the first nine batters he faced in order thanks to a pair of double plays in the second and third innings.  The right hander allowed just two Wildcat baserunners to reach scoring position.
 
LSUE would make Pearl River pay for its mistakes throughout the contest as the Bengals benefitted from seven walks, four hit batters, and four Wildcat errors.  The Bengals would go right to work in the opening inning, as LSUE used a lead-off walk of Dawson Willis (Ruston, LA, Ruston HS) and an error on a Tyson LeBlanc (Maurice, LA, North Vermilion HS) ground ball to put runners on the corners.  A wild pitch scored Willis before Tyler Johnson's (Kenner, LA, Brother Martin HS) sacrifice fly plated LeBlanc to give LSUE the early 2-0 advantage.
 
The Bengals used a six-run third inning for the second time in as many games against Pearl River to break the game open.  LSUE loaded the bases off three straight singles from Ashton Fuselier (Lake Charles, LA, Sam Houston HS), Johnson, and Collin Husser (Ponchatoula, LA, Ponchatoula HS).  The three would come home to score on two hit by pitches and a Willis walk to push the lead to 5-0.  Alex Dupuy (Natchitoches, LA, Natchitoches Central HS) came around to score on an errant pick-off attempt at third base.
 
Bennett Clement (St. Francisville, LA, West Feliciana HS) drove in the final two runs of the six-spot off a two RBI squeeze bunt.
 
The game was held for a 45-minute lightning and rain delay in the fourth inning before resuming.  The Bengals induced the mercy rule on a Husser RBI single and another wild pitch to score Fuselier.  It was LSUE's 25th mercy rule win of the season and the team's 10th shutout.
 
Husser was the lone Bengal to notch a multi-hit game as LSUE would make each of its five hits count.
 
In its two consecutive games against Pearl River, the Bengals held the Wildcats scoreless for 14 straight innings.