Vaz’s big day leads LSUE to big win over Coastal Bend

BEEVILLE, Texas – Javier Vaz belted a pair of home runs and accounted for seven runs as LSU Eunice completed a weekend sweep in Texas with an 18-4 mercy rule win over Coastal Bend College on Sunday. The Bengals (20-0) displayed their dominance again this weekend, winning all three games by a combined margin of 43-7.

Vaz set the tone with a leadoff home run to begin the game, his first of the season. Coastal Bend would respond with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, chasing LSUE starter Jerry Couch after one frame.

The Bengals were quick to answer back with a four-run second inning, highlighted by Vaz’s two-run double to make it a 5-3 game.

LSUE would pull away in the fourth inning with a six-run frame that included an Ayden Makarus grand slam to center field to make it a 13-4 game. Makarus logged two hits, drove in five runs on the day and scored twice.

The Bengals continued their assault an inning later with Jack Merrifield and Thomas Stevens RBI singles sandwiched between a Scott Jones sacrifice fly. Vaz would cap off the scoring in the sixth with a two-run bomb.

Vaz finished the day 5-for-6 with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, four runs scored and a stolen base. Makarus, Merrifield, Jones, Stevens and Jarrett McDonald all logged multi-hit games in the 19-hit outburst.

Jake Hammond silenced the Cougar bats with four innings of relief to pick up the win. Hammond (W, 3-0) scattered one earned run off five hits while striking out six batters. Caleb Seroski, Dawson Alexander, Miles Clack and Noah Beason pieced together the final two innings.

LSUE returns to Eunice for a four-game homestand beginning Tuesday a 6:00PM contest against Centenary JV. The Bengals welcome Murray State College to town for a three-game set next weekend. All games can be seen live on Bengal All-Access.