PRESS RELEASE
ENID, Okla. – LSU Eunice dominated in all facets as the Bengals cruised past NOC-Enid in run-rule fashion, 10-1, to advance to the NJCAA Division II Championship Series. The Bengals (57-6) will meet Parkland College in a best-of-three series beginning Thursday at 7:00PM from David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
NOC-Enid, again, threw the first punch with EJ Taylor’s RBI single in the first inning. But from that point, LSU Eunice put together one of its most complete performances of the season. The onslaught began an inning later as Koi Westbrook smoked a Grand Slam to help the Bengals take the lead for good.
After giving up the Jets’ only run of the game, LSUE starter Dane Dixon shut down the high-powered NOC-Enid offense. Dixon retired the next 15 batters and allowed just one hit in the final six innings. The redshirt freshman improved to 5-1 on the year, striking out six batters while not issuing a walk.
Dixon was helped by some impressive defensive plays including a diving stop and throw to first from his knees by LSUE third baseman Hayden Mixon in the fifth.
Slate Fuller hit his second home run of the World Series with a two-run blast in the third inning to push LSUE’s lead to 6-1. Mason Templet and Hayden Mixon helped add two more in the fifth while the Bengals scratched the final two runs in the sixth off a bunt and ground out.
Templet was the lone Bengals to have a multi-hit game while six LSUE hitters recorded a hit.
This will be LSUE’s seventh all-time appearance in the NJCAA Division II National Championship, winning five of those series. Parkland College has made three other trips to the title tilt, including hoisting the 2002 and 2009 crown.