YOUNGSVILLE, La. – LSU Eunice Softball opened up the 2025 season in emphatic fashion with a pair of decisive shutout wins on Friday at the Mardi Gras Invitational at the Youngsville Sports Complex.  The Bengals (2-0) swept their season opening doubleheader for the third time in the last four years.
 
The Bengals used a complete game effort from Erika Savage (Kingwood, TX, Kingwood Park HS) and timely hits to take a 2-0 decision over Kilgore to begin the day, followed by a 15-0 landslide win against Lamar State College—Port Arthur.  LSUE's offense was led by Kate Rills (Gonzales, LA, East Ascension HS), who enjoyed a perfect 5-for-5 day.
 
LSU Eunice continues action in Youngsville on Saturday with another doubleheader.  The action starts at 3:00PM against National Park College, followed by a 5:30PM matchup with Hinds Community College.
 
Jan. 31 vs. Kilgore College – W, 2-0
LSU Eunice used clutch performances in the circle and the plate to take a 2-0 victory over Kilgore College to open the 2025 season.  The Bengals won their fourth straight season opener under sixth year head coach Meghan Collins.
 
Erika Savage shook off some first game jitters early to turn in a jewel in her first collegiate start.  The freshman would load the bases in each of the first two innings before getting out of the jam, including striking out three straight batters in the first.  Savage cruised from that point on allowing just two more base runners on the next five innings in the complete game shutout.
 
The Texas import did not allow a walk to go with her six punchouts while scattering six hits.
 
Kate Rills would have a hand in each of LSUE's runs in a critical third inning.  The returning starter smoked a one-out single up the middle to score Payton Prince (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS).  Rills would come into score a few batters later thanks to a Ciara Orgeron (Stonewall, LA, North Desoto HS) RBI single.
 
Rills had three of the team's six hits in the game.
 
Jan. 31 vs. Lamar State College – W, 15-0
The Bengal bats exploded in the nightcap of Day One of the Mardi Gras Invitational with a 15-0 run-rule victory over Lamar State College.  LSUE used big innings of five and seven runs to begin and end the game in mercy rule fashion.
 
LSUE jumped on top in a hurry, getting the first four hitters on base to start the game.  The Bengals capitalized on RBI singles by Gracie Higginbotham (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) and Corin Waguespack (Gonzales, LA, East Ascension HS) before a two-run error off the bat of Ciara Orgeron and Makinley Harris (Denham Springs, LA, Denham Springs HS) sacrifice fly made it 5-0 Bengals.
 
Orgeron produced two RBIs two innings later with a double to score Kate Rills and Bella Halata (Friendswood, TX, Friendswood HS) to push the advantage to 7-0.  After Jadyn Yesso (Houma, LA, Houma Christian HS) connected on a RBI double in the fourth, LSUE posted a seven-spot in the fifth to induce the run-rule.
 
LSUE used three of Lamar State's five errors in the inning in the big inning.   Yesso provided another RBI double in the inning while Alyssa Lewis (Brazoria, TX, West Columbia HS) and Halata also provided hits in the inning.
 
Yesso was one of three Bengals with multi-hit games, joined by Rills and Hadley Lemons (Kinder, LA, Kinder HS).
 
Not to be overshadowed, the LSUE pitching staff dominated the shortened game allowing just one hit in the final inning.  Ava Kordish (Bayou Chicot, LA, Pine Prairie HS) grabbed her first collegiate win with 2.1 innings of hitless pitching with one strikeout and one walk.  Alyssa Boutte (Erath, LA, Erath HS) twirled 1.2 innings of perfect relief before handing off to Cate Nettles (Slidell, LA, Slidell HS) for the final frame.