LSUDad Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 Zack Hess' 'extraordinary' performance gives LSU first game of weekend series vs. Georgia BY WILSON ALEXANDER | WALEXANDER@THEADVOCATE.COM MAR 22, 2019 - 8:20 PM Buy Now Louisiana State University right-hand pitcher Zack Hess (38), a junior from Forest, Virginia, pitches during a game against Georgia on Mar. 22, 2019 at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia. LSU defeated Georgia 1-0. (Photo/Julian Wilson Alexander ATHENS, Ga. — Zack Hess' teammates and coaches thought he had never pitched better than he did here Friday night at Foley Field. They called his performance “unbelievable” and said he looked like a major leaguer. Hess led No. 7 LSU to a 1-0 win against No. 9 Georgia, the Tigers’ first road win of the season. Locked in a tight game throughout his start, the junior pitcher threw with precision. He escaped two jams to preserve a small lead. He didn’t walk a single batter. He lowered his ERA by almost a full run. But after the game, Hess didn’t show much emotion. “The only thing we did tonight was avoid getting swept,” he said. Hess needed to pitch his best for LSU (17-5, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) to win this game. The Tigers struggled against Georgia ace Emerson Hancock, recording three hits. One mistake from Hess could have resulted in a loss. Instead, Hess threw eight scoreless innings against the Bulldogs (19-3, 3-1). He had allowed at least two walks every game this season, and a week ago, he walked six batters. On Friday night, Hess controlled all of his pitches. Hess entered the season as LSU’s undisputed No. 1 starter. A groin injury caused him to open the year at less than full health. A line drive smacked his pitching arm during one outing. Coach Paul Mainieri pressured him, publicly saying Hess needed to pitch better after he labored through his first three starts. For the second straight week, Hess pitched like a Friday night starter in the SEC. He struck out nine hitters. When Georgia put a runner on third base with two outs in the first inning, Hess froze Georgia’s John Cable, striking him out looking to end the inning. LSU gave him little run support. After stranding a runner on third in the second inning, the Tigers didn’t reach base again until Antoine Duplantis led off the seventh with a double. He scored on a sacrifice fly. Until the seventh inning, only two batters reached base against Hess. A double to the right field corner put runners on second and third with one out. But Hess struck out one batter and induced a ground ball from another, ending the inning. When Hess walked out for the eighth inning, he had thrown 106 pitches. Devin Fontenot warmed up in the bullpen. Hess gave up a leadoff single to Cam Shepherd, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Mainieri walked out to the mound. “My gut feeling is telling me to take you now,” Mainieri told him. “My gut tells me you ought to go back to the dugout,” Hess replied. Mainieri loved the response. He left Hess in the game. After Hess recorded the second out, he gave up a slow, bouncing ground ball up the middle. Second baseman Hal Hughes dove to knock the ball down. As Shepherd rounded third, shortstop Josh Smith picked it up. Hess watched, standing between the mound and the third base line. Catcher Brock Mathis caught the throw well before Shepherd reached the plate. He tagged him out to end the inning. Hess roared. He jumped into a throng of players who spilled out of the dugout. Hess, this ace expected to lead the staff all year, had escaped Georgia’s final scoring threat. “That's as good a game as I've ever seen him pitch,” Mainieri said. “To win on the road in the SEC, somebody's got to do extraordinary stuff, and Hess was extraordinary.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishhead Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 Any time you get a shutout on the road in this conference it's strong. Hats off to Hess including last week. I guess you could be concerned about only scoring a single run, but I can't complain about it with their ace on the bump and in Athens at that. Our first road win of the season. Undefeated in conference play. GEAUX TIGERS!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSUDad Posted March 23, 2019 Author Share Posted March 23, 2019 The best part... Hess gave up a leadoff single to Cam Shepherd, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Mainieri walked out to the mound. “My gut feeling is telling me to take you now,” Mainieri told him. “My gut tells me you ought to go back to the dugout,” Hess replied. Mainieri loved the response. He left Hess in the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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