A six-run fourth inning propelled the top-ranked LSU Eunice Bengals to an 11-5 win over Northwest in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament on Friday to end the Rangers’ season a win shy of the 30-win plateau.
LSUE advances to play Jones County in an elimination game, while Northwest ends its season at 29-21 overall.
Northwest stranded five runners in scoring position through the first three innings and trailed 1-0 after Janson Bourque’s double to left-center.
The Bengals extended their lead to 7-0 in the fourth, plating five of its six runs with two outs. Turner Francis’ leadoff triple got the big inning started and he was followed by an RBI-single from Bourque, two run single from Zach LaFleur and a two-run, opposite field home run from William Watson.
Northwest found new life in the fifth to make it a ballgame, putting the first three runners on base in the inning. Tanner Lloyd was plunked and Boyd walked before Hunter Wilson’s double to right-center scored both. David Herrington followed with an RBI-double, one of his three in the game, and Jamell Newson added a sac fly to make it 7-4.
LaFleur’s solo home run to left answered back for the Bengals in the top of the sixth and they’d add two more in the seventh to make it 10-4.
Herrington’s RBI-double in the bottom of the seventh plated Wilson for the Rangers’ final run in an 11-5 defeat.
LSUE out-hit Northwest 15-9 on the day, led by three hits apiece from Bourque and Francis. Herrington was 3-for-5 with three doubles and two RBIs, followed by Wilson and Aaron Campbell with two hits apiece.
Braxton Smith (5-1) earned the win for LSUE in 2.1 innings of relief, while Jarod Wright (5-6) was tagged with the loss.
Injury-riddled all season long, Northwest battled through overwhelming adversity to win 29 games, a first-round playoff series and advanced to its 25th NJCAA regional in program history. They end the season ranked 18th, their third straight NJCAA final ranking.
Courtesy of Northwest Sports Information
