EUNICE — The No. 1-ranked LSU Eunice baseball team rallied from an eight-run deficit, including scoring 13 unanswered runs in a three-inning span, to take down Coastal Alabama-South, 13-11, on Sunday.
The victory secured another weekend sweep at Bengal Stadium for LSUE who improved to 9-0 on the season.
Coastal Alabama jumped out to an early lead by scoring eight runs off seven hits and two errors with five of those runs coming with two outs.
Jarrett McDonald would spark the rally for the Bengals, scoring Hunter Tabb on a double to right field. LSUE would cut the deficit in half, 8-4, in the inning after plating runs on a Brady Hebert sacrifice, an error and wild pitch.
Austin Andrishok would hold Coastal Alabama at bay while the Bengals chewed into the lead. The sophomore relieved starter Jerry Couch in the first inning, tossing 3.2 innings of scoreless relief while issuing four hits and two walks. Andrishok also struck out six batters, a new career high.
Nathan Holmes continued to keep CACC-South off the scoreboard, shutting down a scoring opportunity in the fifth. Holmes inherited a two-on, one-out situation, inducing a strikeout and groundout to end the threat. The Canadian would go on to pick up his first victory of the season.
LSUE would creep closer with three more runs in the fifth inning and break through with the lead an inning later. It was McDonald, again, that would open up the inning with a RBI off a misplayed sacrifice fly attempt to left field. McDonald finished 3-for-4, leading the team with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Ayden Makarus gave LSUE the lead a batter later with a bases loaded infield single to shortstop. After Javier Vaz walked in a run to make it 10-8, River Town added two more runs on a single to right field. Jack Merrifield capped off the six-run outburst with a RBI single.
LSUE returns to play Friday as the Bengals welcome Monroe College for a three-game series.
Men’s Basketball
The LSU Eunice men’s basketball team are conference champions.
LSUE defeated Southern University-Shreveport 78-64 on Saturday. The Bengals (19-5, 7-1 LCCAC) were tied with the Jaguars for the lead in the Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference (LCCAC) standings heading into the game.
With the victory, LSU Eunice assures at least a share of the regular season LCCAC title and with the tiebreaker over SU-Shreveport, clinches a berth in next month’s Region 23 tournament in Clinton, Miss.
LSUE and SU-Shreveport went back and forth the first 15 minutes of the game, never separated by more than five points. The Jaguars took their final lead of the game, 26-25, before LSUE ripped off an 11-3 to head into the break up 36-29. Jonathan Cisse led that spurt with five points in that span.
The Bengals would continue their hot streak after intermission.
In the first six minutes of the second half, LSUE would increase its lead to 20 points. Cisse and Mamady Djikine led that charge with 17 combined points.
Cisse would finish with a game-high 21 points, including 16 in the second half, while Djikine chipped in 14 points. Tyrone Hugue and Jevon Berry added 11 points each.
LSUE closes out the regular season on Wednesday at Delgado Community College. A win would clinch an outright LCCAC title.
Women’s Basketball
LSU Eunice women’s basketball continued its dominance in LCCAC play by wrapping up its third consecutive league title in a 93-48 runaway win over Baton Rouge CC last week.
With the victory, the Bengals (18-6, 7-0 LCCAC) won their 26th straight conference contest.
LSUE’s sophomores, who were honored before the game, responded from the tip, racing out to a 12-0 lead. LSUE would build a 29-7 first quarter lead thanks to 12 points in the quarter from Ava Jones.
Jones spearheaded arguably one of the best defensive efforts of the season for the Bengals. LSUE forced 34 turnovers on the evening, turning them into 46 points. Baton Rouge CC was held to 20-for-60 (33.3%) shooting from the field.
Claralee Richard helped the Bengals grow their lead to more than 30 points in the second quarter by sinking three from three-point range. Richard was one of six players to finish in double figures as LSUE took a 54-20 lead into halftime. The sophomore finished with 16 points.