BOSSIER CITY, La. – LSU Eunice Softball will enter the postseason with a full head of steam as the Bengals swept Bossier Parish CC on Tuesday in a road doubleheader. The victories helped LSU Eunice (40-10) clinch another 40-win season, its third straight under head coach Meghan Collins and the 13th in program history.
LSU Eunice stormed out of the gate, plating six runs in the opening inning to secure an 8-6 win in the first game of the game, then used strong pitching and clutch hitting in a 3-2 nailbiter. The Bengals swept the four-game season series against the Cavaliers this season.
LSUE now turns its attention to the NJCAA Division II Region 23 Tournament, set for May 2-4. The Bengals will be in one of two four-team brackets with each bracket winner receiving an automatic berth into the NJCAA Division II Softball National Tournament in Oxford, Alabama later next month. Tournament brackets and details will be released this weekend.
Game 1 vs. Bossier Parish CC – W, 8-6
LSU Eunice's offense caught fire early, using an early surge to help push past Bossier Parish CC 8-6 to start the Tuesday doubleheader. The Bengals plated six runs in the opening inning, using five hits and four free passes.
Payton Prince (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) set the table, opening the game with a bunt single and advancing to second on a wild throw. After stealing third base, she'd come home to score on a sacrifice ground out by
Makinzey Elisar (Prairieville, LA, St. Amant HS). Two batters later,
McKenna Howell (Pollock, LA, Grant HS) lifted a two-run home run to left field to push the LSUE lead to 3-0.
The Bengals would push across three more runs in the inning, all coming with two outs.
Gracie Higginbotham (Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS) drove home a pair on a single up the middle before LSUE brought home the final run of the frame on a bases loaded walk.
After BPCC scored its first run of the game in the third, LSUE was back on the scoreboard with
Makinley Harris (Denham Springs, LA, Denham Springs HS) and
Hadley Lemons (Kinder, LA, Kinder HS) driving in runs.
Howell led the LSUE 12-hit attack with a 3-hit game, while
Kate Rills (Gonzales, LA, East Ascension HS), Lemons, and Higginbotham produced multi-hit games.
The Cavaliers wouldn't go down easy, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings and another in the seventh.
Reagan Rios (Longview, TX, Longview HS) picked up her 14th win of the season, tossing three innings. The sophomore scattered one earned run off two hits and a walk while striking out three batters.
Cate Nettles (Slidell, LA, Slidell HS) secured her third save of the season with two innings of action, giving up an unearned run off one walk.
Game 2 vs. Bossier Parish CC – W, 3-2
Strong work in the circle and some critical hits late gave LSU Eunice a 3-2 win over Bossier Parish to close out the Tuesday twinbill. It was the Bengals' sixth one-run win of the season.
LSUE found itself trailing 1-0 in a pitcher's duel before the Bengals would piece together their offense later in the game. McKenna Howell tied the game in the fourth inning off a RBI single to right field. Payton Prince gave LSUE the lead in the sixth with a solo home run before
Alyssa Boutte (Erath, LA, Erath HS) scored a valuable insurance run in the seventh on a successful first-and-third double steal.
The Bengals outhit the Cavaliers 4-3 in the defensive battle.
Ava Kordish (Bayou Chicot, LA, Pine Prairie HS) helped keep LSUE in striking distance, improving to 13-3 on the season with a 5.2 inning outing. The freshman gave up two hits and a walk while striking out six batters.
Erika Savage (Kingwood, TX, Kingwood Park HS) came on in relief to pick up her fourth save of the season, going 1.1 innings and giving up one earned run off one hit. She would strikeout two batters in the contest.
