AJ Causey threw his sixth-straight outing of allowing four runs or less — going 6.2 IP with nine strikeouts — while Billy Amick, Dylan Dreiling and Hunter Ensley hit three HRs and combined for six of the Vols’ eight earned runs in UT’s 9-3 win in its opening game of the Knoxville Regional.
Tennessee stuck to its regular pitching rotation to begin Regional play, with Chris Stamos in his opener role. But he managed just one out as he got touched up for a lead-off home run in the top of the first and a subsequent double. This forced Tony Vitello to go to AJ Causey a bit early, but it didn’t seem to bother AJ.