Zack Hess was a monster on Thursday night, throwing eight innings en route to a 4-1 victory for the LSU Tigers (20-11, 6-4 SEC) over the Texas A&M Aggies (21-9, 3-7 SEC).
How It Happened
The Tigers just needed one inning of offense to help them get the win and they did so in the top of the first. Antoine Duplantis put them on the board with a two-run single to center field, followed up by an RBI double down the left field line from Hunter Feduccia. Bryce Jordan closed things out with an RBI single out to center field to make it 4-0.
The Aggies got on the board in the bottom of the ninth with a solo shot from Will Frizzell.
Hess improved to 5-3 on the year, throwing eight shutout innings, allowing only four hits, walked three, and struck out five on the evening.
Big Number: 114
Hess really showed out Thursday, throwing 114 pitches on the evening. What makes that stat even more important is the fact that 70 of those pitches were strikes, showing that he can be used more consistently as a starter. It was a point of debate for a while, but Zack Hess can be a legit starter for this team or a major league program that needs one down the line.
Player of the Game: Antoine Duplantis
While this is a big Hess love fest, we can’t forget the Lafayette High product in Antoine Duplantis. He’s been one of the most consistent hitters for the Tigers and was able to knock two runs across off of one hit. That’s a pretty good way to earn player of the game honors.
Next Up: Game Two; First Pitch at 6 pm
-Clint Domingue