Tennessee baseball downs Northern Kentucky in Knoxville Regional

Billy Amick hit his second three-run run home run in as many games and A.J. Causey dominated on the mound to send Tennessee on the winner's bracket of the Knoxville Regional.

The No. 1 overall seed Vols trailed early in their 2024 NCAA Tournament debut but found ways to get runs before Amick all but put Northern Kentucky out of reach with his 20th homer of the season in the fourth inning en route to a 9-3 victory in front of a record crowd of 6,396 Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

In its first appearance since winning the SEC Tournament Championship last Sunday, Tennessee (51-11) began its quest for its third College World Series in four years in relatively commanding fashion.

The Norse (35-23) opened the top half of the first inning with a go-ahead home run before Causey (W, 12-3) began what would end up being his longest relief outing of the season, going 6.2 innings.

He allowed four hits and two earned runs while striking out nine in 111 total pitches.

At the plate, the Vols strung together timely hits, including from Hunter Ensley who answered a couple of Northern Kentucky scores with a home run in the seventh and Dylan Dreiling, who added two more runs with a homer in the eighth.

STARTING LINEUPS

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

5. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

6. Kavares Tears (L) - RF

7. Dean Curley (R) - SS

8. Reese Chapman (L) - DH

9. Cal Stark (R) - C

LHP Chris Stamos

Northern Kentucky

1. Cleary Simpson (L) - 3B

2. Treyvin Moss (L) - RF

3. Lia McFadden-Ackman (R) - 1B

4. Mitch Wood (R) - DH

5. Tyler Shaneyfelt (L) - CF

6. Logen Devenport (R) - LF

7. Brennan Rowe (R) - SS

8. Jake Paulick (R) - C

9. John Odom (R) - 2B

RHP Tanner Gillis

HOW IT HAPPENED

Chris Stamos leash was a short one.

After Northern Kentucky went ahead on a lead off home run from Cleary Simpson in the top of the first inning and moved a runner into scoring position on a double in the next at-bat, the Tennessee starting pitcher was pulled.

A.J. Causey took over out of the bullpen with one out and 2-2 count against Mitch Wood, striking him out with his first pitch. A pop up to short retired the next batter and got the Vols out of the inning down just one run.

Christian Moore led off the bottom with a single through the left side and Dylan Dreiling later moved him into scoring position with two outs, but Tennessee came away empty-handed with a ground out.

Causey, though continued to give Norse batters fits, sending them down in order in the second, all of which were strikeouts.

Tennessee again led off the second with a hit, but had something to show for it this time after Northern Kentucky left fielder was mishandled a Reese Chapman single, allowing Kavares Tears to score from first and even the score at 1-1.

The Vols threatened to go in front for the first time in the fourth, starting the frame with a Blake Burke walk. Then Billy Amick was hit by a pitch to give Tennessee a pair of runners with no outs.

Dreiling fouled out but Hunter Ensley walked after a long at-bat to load the bases and Tears' patience paid off the situation with another walk that scored Burke to give the Vols a 2-1 advantage.

Dean Curley added another run with a sac-fly RBI to left that allowed Amick to score and stretch the Tennessee lead to 3-1 through three.

Amick blew the game open in the fourth, mashing a home run that covered 391 feet over the wall in center with two runners on to give the Vols a commanding 6-1 lead.

Northern Kentucky scored runs in the sixth and seventh to trim its deficit but Hunter Ensley responded with a home run in the seventh to give Tennessee a 7-3 lead.

Northern Kentucky tried to build some momentum in the eighth after Treyvin Moss walked with one out and Lia McFadden-Ackman battled in a long at-bat, but Kirby Connell picked off Moss and followed with a strikeout to end the inning.

Dreiling sent a pitch into the Vols bullpen in right with two outs in eighth that pushed two runs across and upped the lead to 9-3 before Connell closed out the game in the ninth.