CROWLEY, La. – If the first few weeks of LSU Eunice Baseball is any indication – they may not be for the feint of heart. The Bengals used a frantic ninth inning rally, capped by
Cash Riley, III's (Dallas, TX, Jesuit HS) two-out grand slam to score a 5-3 win over Tyler Junior College on Saturday at Fezzo's Field.
LSU Eunice faced a 3-0 deficit heading into its final at bat. After a fly out, LSUE put runners on as
Ashton Fuselier (Lake Charles, LA, Sam Houston HS) was hit by a pitch and
Will Mabry, IV (St. Joseph, LA, Tensas Academy) walked. After a strikeout,
Caleb Hastings (Lutcher, LA, Lutcher HS) walked before
Jackson Legg (Shreveport, LA, Calvary Baptist HS) was hit by a pitch to bring home the Bengals' first run of the game. That would set the stage for Riley's dramatics.
The redshirt sophomore turned on a fast ball and launched a towering home run to right field, his first with the Bengals. It would spark a celebration at home plate as LSUE used a home run to cap off an improbable rally for the second time in three games.
A pitching duel for most of the game, Tyler would score the first run of the afternoon on a wild pitch in the sixth inning. The Apache added to their lead with a sacrifice grounder in the eighth and a solo home run in the ninth.
Both teams battled strong winds blowing towards right field as the two teams combined for just 11 hits. The Bengals had a golden opportunity to strike first in the third inning as the first three batters reached safely. TJC would strike out the next three LSUE batters to squash the threat.
Hunter Gambel (Hammond, LA, St. Thomas Aquinas HS) picked up the win after throwing in the ninth inning, scattering one hit and striking out a batter.
Xavier Woods (Cleveland, TX, Cleveland HS) impressed in a no decision start, going six full innings while giving up three hits and four walks with five strikeouts.
Will Mabry and
McCray Jacobs (Johnson City, TX, Johnson City HS) also saw time on the mound for LSU Eunice.
The Bengals close out their weekend with a doubleheader tomorrow in Crowley. LSUE takes on Kellogg CC at 12:00PM, followed by a 3:00PM contest against Tyler JC. Both games are at Miller Stadium.