LSUE’s Lee reaches 500

GRAMBLING – LSU Eunice head softball coach Andy Lee earned his 500th career win Tuesday as the Lady Bengals earned an 11-2, 12-8 sweep over Grambling State University.
Lee improves to 500-129 on his 10-year coaching career.
Lee began his softball coaching career at Hinds Community College where he went 92-65 in three seasons after moving over from the Eagles baseball staff.
“I wasn’t sure how it would go when I started coaching softball,” Lee said. “I didn’t really know what I was doing – but the next thing you know I fell in love with the sport.
“I enjoy the fast pace speed of the game and the strategy that goes with it,” he said.
“It is less about ego and more about team.”
With the sweep over GSU, the top-ranked Lady Bengals improve to 38-2 on the season.
Abigail Leonards earned the win in the opener as she struck out four, walked two and allowed one earned run and three hits over four innings.
Elizabeth Fontenot closed the final two innings as she scattered just one hit with no runs allowed.
Hope Vizinat went 4-for-4 with three RBI, while Ali Daigle went 2-for-2 with four RBI.
Jeanmarie Angelle went 3-for-3 with a RBI and four runs scored as teammate Maddie Edmonston finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
The finale was an offensive display by both teams as the Lady Bengals and Lady Tigers combined for 20 runs on 22 hits as LSU Eunice held on for the 12-8 win.
Lady Bengal starter Savannah Cates earned the win as she struck out two, walked three and allowed six runs (two earned) on four hits over three innings.
Jordan Dougherty pitched the final four innings as she struck out one and allowed two runs on two hits.
Edmonston went 2-for-3 with two walkes, two RBI and three runs scored, while Darby Bishop went 2-for-2 with four RBI and a run scored.
Daigle went 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored as teammate Rebecca Skains finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Lee said he is pleased to see his team perform so well this season.
“I knew we had team speed and we would play defense,” he said. “But this is one of the best offensive teams I have ever had here.”
The Lady Bengals lead NJCAA Division II with 359 runs scored, 313 RBI, 143 extra-base hits and 711 total bases.
Bishop is second in the country with 54 RBI, while Skains sits at No. 5 with 47 RBI.
Edmonston is third in the country with 26 stolen bases.
Leonards is tied for fourth place with 14 wins on the season.
LSU Eunice entertains Lamar State College in a 2 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday at Lady Bengal Field.
The Lady Bengals are joined in the polls by Region 23 teams No. 2 Mississippi Gulf Coast (24-2), No. 3 East Central (25-4), No. 5 Jones County (23-4) and No. 8 Itwamba (23-4).
“This is the best region in the country,” Lee said.
“We will host the Region 23 tournament, which is a good thing because our girls play well at home and love to play for our fans.”