May 26, Kellogg Community College - W, 11-1
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LSU Eunice opened its stay in Enid in emphatic style, using an early offensive surge to cruise 11-1 in a five-inning run-rule victory. The top-seeded Bengals secured their 26th mercy rule win of the season.
Dawson Willis set the stage for his Most Valuable Player award, having a hand in three of the Bengals’ first four runs. Willis scored twice on stolen bases and would knock in Alex Dupuy to begin a back-breaking five-run second inning. Teddy Johnson delivered the knock-out blow in the big inning, blasting an opposite field three-run home run.
Dupuy helped pad the lead with another opposite field home run, the solo bomb made it 8-0 LSU Eunice. Dupuy scored three times off two hits to lead LSUE offensively while Willis stole five bases.
Blake Lobell hurled his third complete game of the season to improve to 14-0. He would scatter four hits while not issuing a free pass with his lone blemish coming on a Kellogg solo home run. The LSUE ace struck out six batters, retiring the side in order twice.
LSUE induced the mercy rule with three runs in fifth, using an error on an Andrew Lee bunt to score a pair. He would score the game winning run on a Tyson LeBlanc sacrifice fly.
May 28, St. Johns River State College – W, 4-2
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Alex Dupuy had a hand in two late runs to help LSU Eunice survive a 4-2 thriller against St. Johns River. The freshman scored the go ahead run in the seventh off an Andrew Lee RBI single and would bring home Reuben Williams an inning later on a sacrifice fly.
Dupuy was the lone Bengal to have a multi-hit game as the Bengals and Vikings both had strong efforts on the mound.
Alec Beversdorf received a hard luck no decision, striking out seven in 5.1 innings of work. Liam Watt grabbed the win with 2.2 innings of shut out relief, followed by Collier Barham’s eighth save of the season.
May 30, St. Johns River State College – L, 7-8
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The Bengals dug themselves out of a six-run hole but would fall to St. Johns River 8-7 in a heartbreaker. LSUE found itself trailing 7-1 after three innings before the Bengals roared with six unanswered to tie the game at 7 after six innings.
Ashton Fuselier and Bennett Clement provided the spark as Fuselier’s two-run single in the fifth started the rally, followed by a sixth inning three-run homer by Clement. Fuselier tied the game with a two-out single later in the frame.
The Vikings scored the game winning run in the eighth off a wild pitch.
May 31, St. Johns River State College – W, 6-5
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After two classic contests with the Vikings, the rubber match was one for the ages as LSUE erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to punch the Bengals’ ticket to the National Championship game.
LSUE saw itself trailing 5-3 heading into its final at bat before piecing together a rally that will live in Bengal lure. After an Alex Dupuy hit by pitch and a Collin Husser double, Andrew Lee singled home Dupuy to cut the deficit to one. Dawson Willis walked to load the bases and two batters later Tyson LeBlanc induced another walk to plate the game tying run.
Pinch runner Evan Joubert would race home after a wild pitch to Weston Fulk, sliding home safely to set off a wild celebration.
Fulk started the scoring for LSUE with a two-run home run in the fourth, while Dupuy tied the game in the seventh on an RBI single. The duo along with Teddy Johnson and Lee managed multi-hit games.
Blake Lobell received a tough luck no decision, going eight innings. In his final LSUE start, Lobell struck out eight batters while giving up three earned runs on seven hits and two walks. The Vikings scored a pair of runs in the ninth to set the stage for the dramatic rally.
June 1, Brunswick Community College – W, 9-3
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The Bengals turned a tight title tilt into an LSU Eunice runaway in a 9-3 win over Brunswick CC to capture the program’s 8th National Championship.
The Bengals entered the decisive eighth inning holding on to a 3-2 lead in another nailbiter in Enid. LSUE would turn the game into a landslide, plating six runs on four hits and three walks. Tyler Johnson led off the inning with a single as LSUE loaded the bases after two walks. Andrew Lee turned the lineup over with a two RBI groundball just past the Dolphin shortstop to pad the LSUE lead to 5-2.
A passed ball allowed Collin Husser to score before the backbreaker came off the bat of Weston Fulk. Tyson LeBlanc walked to reload the bases before Fulk cleared the diamond off a sharp bouncer down the left field line, giving the Bengals a commanding 9-2 advantage.
Brunswick would add a run in the eighth inning before the Bengals closed the door in the ninth and set off the championship celebration. Parker Morgan came in relief in the ninth inning after a leadoff walk, striking out a batter before inducing a game ending double play.
The early innings were a back-and-forth affair as LSUE and Brunswick traded off runs. The Dolphins were first to strike with a third inning solo home run. The Bengals answered back in the fourth, plating two runs off a LeBlanc RBI single and Ashton Fuselier sacrifice fly. Brunswick would tie the game on a manufactured run off a fielder's choice.
LSUE would finally take the lead for good in the seventh on a bases loaded walk.
Fulk and Dawson Willis paced the LSUE offense with three hit game, part of the Bengals' 12-hit output. Johnson was the other Bengal with a multi-hit game.
Liam Watt capped off his Most Outstanding Pitcher performance with 3.2 innings of relief, credited with the win to improve his record to 7-2. Watt tossed 3.1 innings, giving up one earned run off three hits and a walk while striking out two batters. For the tournament, Watt made three appearances, earning two wins going 7.2 innings allowing one run off five hits and tallying four strikeouts.
Willis was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player, going 7-for-16 (.437) with seven runs, an RBI and seven stolen bases. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Teddy Johnson, Tournament Defensive Player Alex Dupuy, Weston Fulk, Blake Lobell and Liam Watt.
World Series Awards
Most Valuable Player – Dawson Willis
Pitcher of the Tournament – Liam Watt
Defensive Player of the Tournament – Alex Dupuy
Coach of the Tournament – Jeff Willis
Sportsmanship Award – LSU Eunice
All-Tournament Team – Teddy Johnson, Alex Dupuy, Weston Fulk, Blake Lobell, Liam Watt
