The LSU Tigers hit four home runs in an SEC game for the first time in five years as the Tigers cruised to a 9-3 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday.
The Tiger offense came out the gate fast as LSU put up eight runs on the Volunteers in the first three innings. Tennessee freshman pitcher Garrett Crochet was rattled early and often as the Tiger batters finished the night with fifteen hits.
The hit parade by the Tigers started off with a bang with a leadoff home run by senior left fielder Beau Jordan. A hit by pitch and a single by the Tigers put two on for senior Austin Bain.
Bain would capitalize, slicing a single into right field to bring in one and stretch the LSU lead to 2-0.
With runners on the corners, LSU was able to push across one more run in the first inning on a fielder’s choice grounder that resulted in a double play.
“It was a great victory, I’m really proud of the guys to win a Friday night game,” coach Paul Mainieri said. “Now with Ma’Khail (Hilliard) moving in to the middle game tomorrow we’re really confident that we’re gonna go out and play well.”
The offense would continue to role in the second inning with another leadoff home run, this time off the bat of sophomore Jake Slaughter. With runners on second and third, junior Antoine Duplantis hit a grounder to the right side of the infield helping to push across another run for the Tigers.
Second basemen Bain would once again poke a single into the outfield, extending the LSU lead to six through two innings.
The Tiger bats would not cool off there as junior Hunter Feduccia belted a lead off home run to make it three straight innings the Tigers lead-off with a home run. Slaughter would follow suit belting his second home run of the game to dead center, giving LSU an 8-0 lead through three innings.
The offense would push one more run across after a triple by Duplantis setup Bain for his fourth hit of the game and third RBI of the night.
LSU’s ace pitcher Zack Hess pitched an equally impressive game throwing seven excellent innings for the Tigers striking out nine on his way to his sixth win of the year. Hess was unhittable through three innings, carrying a perfect game into the fourth inning.
The sophomore pitcher was dominant all night for the Tigers, blowing his fastball by the Volunteer hitters. The combination of his fastball and sinker were devastating to the Tennessee hitters as Hess collected eight strikeouts on the night bringing his season total to 68 on the year.
“We were swinging the bats early and we were putting pressure on them from the get-go,” Hess said. “I think just overall we played really well as a team and it was a good team win.”
The offense would push one more run across after a triple by Duplantis setup Bain for his fourth hit of the game and third RBI of the night.
In relief for Hess, the combination of Todd Peterson, Cam Sanders and Clay Moffitt helped finish the game, with a two run home run given up by Sanders with two outs in the ninth.
The Tigers (22-13, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) will be back in action tomorrow against the Volunteers in the second game of the series with a new start time of 8 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium.
