AUSTIN, Texas — On a cool night in front of a sold-out crowd at Disch-Falk Field, it was a battle of college baseball powers who have won a combined 12 national championships.
The teams traded punches in a pitchers' duel: Bryce Elder vs. Zack Hess.
The Longhorns delivered the first significant blow in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Junior outfielder Duke Ellis sent a Hess fastball over the left field fence for a two-run bomb.
It was the second career bomb for Ellis as a Longhorn.
Texas peppered the LSU pitching staff with 11 hits.
Ellis had a pair of those hits, along with Eric Kennedy, Ryan Reynolds and Masen Hibbeler.
Elder continued his Friday night brilliance on the mound. The sophomore pitcher issued seven strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings. He only allowed one run, four hits and three walks, improving to 3-0 as UT's Friday night starter.
Despite committing a pair of errors, Texas made up for those by making double plays, such as the one in the top of the seventh inning.
Cedar Ridge High School product, catcher Michael McCann, scooped up an in-the-dirt Elder strikeout and delivered a perfect throw to second baseman Hibbeler for the double play.
Texas plated five runs in the bottom half of that frame to increase the lead to 8-1.
Sophomore pitcher Kamron Fields picked up his second save of the season in two and one-third innings of work. Fields didn't allow a hit and struck out one LSU Tiger.
Texas improved to 8-3 on the season, handing LSU their first loss this year. The Tigers fells to 8-1 on the season.
Pitcher Blair Henley will receive the nod for Texas in Game 2 of this series Saturday afternoon.
First pitch at Disch-Falk Field is at 3:30 p.m.
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