The LSU offense exploded for 13 runs as the LSU Tigers routed the Texas Longhorns 13-4 in the weekend opener. The Tigers have now rattled off a pair of wins after losing their first opening series since 1999.
“It was a great all around effort by all of our guys tonight,” coach Paul Mainieri said. “I’m just really proud of them against a really good ball club and a great pitcher for us to come out on a Friday night and play as well as we did.”
The LSU offense got off to a hot start in the first inning exploding for five runs on four hits. The Tigers were helped out by a pair of errors by the Texas infield that helped the Tigers bring in a pair of runs. Junior college transfer Brandt Broussard continued his hot start to the season drilling a bases clearing double that brought in two Tigers.
The offense kept rolling for the Tigers in the third, rattling three runs off the Texas starter. A pair of freshmen came up big for the Tigers, when Hal Hughes kept the inning alive with a bases loaded single and Daniel Cabrera drilled a liner into right field bringing in two and extending the Tigers lead to eight.
Broussard’s big night continued in the fourth when he drove in two runs on a bases loaded single just pass the outstretched glove of the second basemen. The single stretched the Tigers lead to 10-2 through four innings.
“Just getting up there I feel like I just take it to another level of focus,” Broussard said. “The Jordan’s being up there allow me to see some good pitches and be ready to hit those and not miss them.”
The Tigers wouldn’t stop there, driving in three more insurance runs in the sixth. A single by Hughes would drive in one setting up designated hitter Austin Bain. Bain continued his dominant start at the plate blasting a two out double deep into right field stretching the LSU lead to eleven.
The offense wasn’t the only thing that bounced back after a rough opening week.
After starting the season off slow a move to the Friday night starter did the trick for sophomore pitcher Zack Hess.
Hess worked the strike zone all night finishing with a career-high 10 strikeouts in six innings pitched. Hess was able to consistently throw his offspeed pitches for strikes allowing him to blow his fastball pass the Texas hitters.
“Tonight I thought I did a good job executing and just going out there and letting my stuff work for me and competing in the strike zone,” Hess said. “That was obviously a really good Texas team and we know we have two more days left to work and we can’t start letting up now. I thought that was a great team win.”
The win brings the No. 15 LSU Tigers record to 3-2 on the season.
Junior Caleb Gilbert will look to stretch the Tigers win streak to three when they face off against the Longhorns in the second game of the series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium.
