ENID, OKLAHOMA -- The LSU-E Bengals took to the field Sunday and Monday to try and bring home the NJCAA Divison II World Series title for the sixth time in program history.
The Bengals were previous winners of the championship in 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2015.
LSU-E came into the tournament as the No. 1 seed overall after sporting a 54-6 record on the year.
The Bengals jumped out to a great start, defeating Brunswick (NC) 9-0 on Sunday and taking down Northern Oklahoma College 10-6 on Monday.
LSU-E was scheduled to resume play yesterday, playing the winner of Northern Oklahoma and Sinclair (OH). Those two teams were in the loser’s bracket.
Should the Bengals make it to the championship game, they would play on Friday in a three game series with the winner of bracket one.
In Sunday’s game, Zach Hester threw his first complete game of the season to help No. 1 LSU Eunice run-rule No. 8 Brunswick, 9-0, in the Bengals’ opener in the NJCAA Division II World Series. The sophomore pumped a career-best 14 strikeouts over the eight-inning outing.
Hester sat down the Dolphins in order three times over the game, scattering three hits while not issuing a walk. The right-hander threw 84 strikes in the 113-pitch effort.
LSU-E got all the offense it needed with Brent Hebert navigating the base paths in the first inning. After being issued a lead-off walk, Hebert stole second and third base and scored off an errant throw on the steal attempt.
The Bengals would add another run in the third after Evan Keller stole home after a pick-off attempt at first. LSU-E stole eight bases highlighted by Jacob Richard’s three swipes.
Mason Templet would push the LSUE lead to 3-0 with a RBI double in the seventh inning. Templet provided the run-rule capper with an opposite field three-run home run to left field in a six-run eighth inning for the Bengals.
Templet finished three-for-four with four RBIs and two runs scored to lead the six-hit LSU-E attack. The St. Thomas More HS product knocked a pair of doubles in addition to his home run.
Jacob Richard also had a multi-hit game, scoring an eighth inning run off a Koi Westbrook two-run sacrifice bunt.
On Monday, Hayden Mixon helped LSU Eunice erase a three-run deficit with a grand slam to jump start the Bengals offense in a 10-6 victory over NOC-Enid. The LSUE bats scored in each of its final five at-bats to help fend off an opportunistic Jets attack.
The home standing Jets gave a heavy NOC-Enid crowd plenty to cheer about after scratching three runs in the third inning. The Jets connected on three hits and used one error in the frame. LSU-E went down in order its first two at-bats and left empty handed after three base running outs.
All of the momentum shifted in the Bengals’ favor an inning later. After LSU-E starter Andrew Sheridan sat NOC-Enid in order, the Bengals got the big lick they needed from Hayden Mixon. LSU-E pushed its lead to 6-3 an inning later with a opposite field two-run home run to a short porch in right field. Fuller paced the Bengals’ 12-hit night with a 3-for-4 game, driving in two runs and scoring three times.
The Jets would cut into the lead twice, but each time LSU-E would answer. The Bengals’ lead was trimmed to 7-6 before LSU-E reliever Austin Bradford helped stave off NOC-Enid by sitting the Jets down in order in the eighth.
A two-run bases loaded fielder’s choice by Cameron Horton and run scoring single by Evan Keller gave LSU-E its 33rd double-digit output of the season.
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TRACEY JAGNEAUX