Baton Rouge, LA - Zack Hess threw five scoreless innings for second ranked LSU, striking out six and allowing two hits as the Tigers got past Hofstra, 8-1, Wednesday night at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers led 2-0 going into the fifth inning, but was able to pull away in the middle and late innings.  

The Tigers improved to 4-1 on the season, while the Pride fell to 0-4.

Greg Deichmann got things started for the Tigers in the bottom of the first as he hit a two-run home run off of starter Michael James (0-1) to right to stake LSU to a lead. LSU would manufacture two runs in the fifth off of Matt Weissheier as Cole Freeman singled with two outs, stole second and came in to score on a single by Antoine Duplantis. Kramer Robertson then drove in Duplantis, who had also stole second, with a single through the left side. Deichmann doubled to put runners on second and third, but Matt Weissheier struck out Jake Slaughter to escape any further damage.

Michael Papierski had an RBI double in the sixth and Freeman added a run-scoring single to add to the Tigers' tally. LSU tacked on its seventh run in the seventh on a single from Slaughter that drove home Robertson and then added a run in the eighth on a pinch hit double from Rankin Woley that plated Beau Jordan.

Hofstra used eight pitchers with each going an inning. James took the loss after allowing two runs on one hit in the first. Gjon Ljukovic, James Beasley and Kieran Ryan each threw scoreless innings for the Pride.

The Pride offense delivered a run in the ninth following singles from Robert Weissheier and Teddy Cillis. Chris Hardardt followed with a potential double play grounder, but the throw to first was wide and allowed Rob Weissheier to score and send Hardardt to second.

Cillis finished with two hits for the Pride, while Steven Foster and Rob Weissheier had the other two.

Hess (1-0) picked up the win, while he was followed by Todd Peterson, Nick Bush, Matthew Beck, Hunter Newman and Will Reese. Newman allowed the Hofstra run, unearned, in the ninth.

Hofstra heads to Thibodeaux, Louisiana, Thursday for the Mardi Gras Classic at Nicholls State. The Pride will face the host team Thursday night at 7 p.m. followed by Southern on Friday and Grambling on Saturday.

Notes:
-The game was Hofstra's first ever meeting with LSU
-The Tigers joined Florida State (2010) as the highest ranked team that the Pride has ever faced.
-Rob Weissheier's hit was the first of his career.