2016 NHSI: Hess Comes Through–Twice

CARY, N.C.—It’s not often you get to drive in the go-ahead run in extra innings twice in one game. It happened for Liberty Christian Academy’s Zack Hess on Friday.

Hess—who got outdueled by Florence (Ala.) High Braxton Garrett in the National High School Invitational opener on Wednesday—was in the lineup for Liberty Christian in the consolation round Friday and twice put LCA ahead in extra innings of a wild game against North Broward Prep.

Hess, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound righthander who’s committed to LSU, was 3-for-6 Friday with a booming double and RBI single in a 5-3 win in a 12-inning thriller.

The double—which looked like a home run off the bat—came in the 10th and put Liberty Academy up 3-2.

“I thought it was (gone) at first and I kind of slowed up going around first, but the wind was fooling us all day,” Hess said.

North Broward Prep came back to tie in the 10th—and nearly won it when Anthony Masiello’s grounder in the hole almost got through the left side of the infield. The play by Noah Cook, who moved to short from second base when the shortstop moved to the mound, didn’t surprise LCA coach Randy Tomlin.

“Noah is naturally a shortstop … so I knew Noah was going to do everything he could to slow it down,” said Tomlin, the former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher. “He made a game-saving play to get it.”

Given a second chance to win it, Hess delivered again in the 12th, grounding a ball past North Broward’s shortstop and into center field to score Wesley Clark, who had hit a long double to center to start the inning.

“I was a little bit out in front against (reliever Nick Paschal),” Hess said. “He had me down 0-2, and it was a fastball away, but I was able to get it off the barrel and things worked out.”

Uncommitted junior righthander Austin Roach was another hero for Liberty Christian, delivering 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball in relief of starter Zach Fuqua.