Bengals banish BRCC Bears, 6-3
By Jamie Anfenson-Comeau
The LSU at Eunice Bengals, the top-ranked Division II team in the NJCAA, improved to 31-7 Friday night, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 6-3 win over the Division I Baton Rouge Community College Bears in the first of a three-game series.
LSUE drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore Boomer Blanchard scored on LSU transfer Kellan Bozeman’s groundout.
BRCC took the lead in the top of the next inning, tying the score when Tanner Theriot doubled to drive in one run, and then forging ahead on Jarrod Fabacher’s RBI base hit.
The Bengals quickly tied the score in the second half, when Chase Blanchard reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring one run.
In the bottom of the fifth, left-handed heavy-hitter Delta Cleary doubled to score one run, giving the Bengals a 3-2 lead.
The Bears tied the score again in the top of the seventh, when catcher Jerrad Roden hit a solo home run.
In the bottom of the eighth, Matt Creel and Bozeman singled to get on base before designated hitter Tyler Slocum nailed a home run over the left field fence.
Relief pitcher Alex McCollum (3-0) pitched the win, giving up one earned run off of three hits and no walks while striking out three batters in two innings of work.
Tyler Slocum earned his third save of the season, striking out one batter in the last two-thirds’ inning.
The Bengals will wrap up the series against BRCC today at 1 p.m.
On Tuesday, they travel to Pineville for a 4 p.m. game against the Louisiana College junior varsity team.