How it Happened: Tennessee earns hard-fought 11-6 win over Evansville in super regional opener
It certainly wasn’t easy, but Tennessee powered through for the 11-6 win over Evansville in game one of the Knoxville Super Regional Friday afternoon from Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The two teams will meet again Saturday morning at 11 o’clock eastern time on ESPN2. With a win on Saturday, the Vols (54-11) advance on to Omaha for the College World Series while Evansville’s (38-25) season would come to an end. If the Purple Aces pull even in game two, then the CWS ticket will be determined in a winner take all game three on Sunday evening at 6 o’clock eastern time on ESPNU.
Tennessee’s top-three hitters of Christian Moore, Blake Burke and Billy Amick carried the offense, combining to go 6-for-11 with five runs driven in, six runs scored and a walk. All three also registered a home run during the ballgame. Hunter Ensley also homered and drove in four as part of a 3-for-4 day at the office. Seven UT hitters have now tallied double-digit home runs on the year.
Evansville blasted a couple of run-scoring extra-base hits of their own, which were critical in the two-run second and three-run fifth innings.
AJ Causey (13-3) earned the win in the ballgame, tossing 4.2 innings of relief where he allowed three runs (none earned) off four hits with eight strikeouts to only a pair of walks. Starter Kenton Deverman (9-2) was charged for only his second loss of the season after allowing eight runs off six hits over 4.2 innings on the bump.
Tennessee and Evansville will square off again on Saturday, but first, here’s how it all went down in game one of the Knoxville Super Regional on a Friday afternoon.
Scoring Summary
Bot 1: Blake Burke drilled a solo home run to right field. Vols 1-0
Top 2: Cal McGinnis sent a two-run home run out to right-centerfield. Aces 2-1
Bot 3: Christian Moore’s two-run homer put Tennessee back on top. Vols 3-2
Bot 3: Billy Amick drilled a solo shot to left field. Vols 4-2
Bot 4: Dean Curley tallied a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Hunter Ensley scored from third. Vols 5-2
Top 5: Kip Fougerousse doubled in a pair off the top of the left-centerfield wall. Vols 5-4
Top 5: Chase Hug drove in the tying run on a single up the middle. Tied 5-5
Bot 5: Blake Burke’s RBI double off the wall in centerfield plated Christian Moore. Vols 6-5
Bot 5: A throwing error allowed a second run to score in the fifth inning. Vols 7-5
Bot 5: Hunter Ensley drove in another with a single to right field. Vols 8-5
Bot 7: Hunter Ensley towered a three-run home run to left field. Vols 11-5
Top 9: Mark Shallenberger singled in a run to right field. Vols 11-6
The Final Stats
Postgame Video
Knoxville Super Regional Schedule
Friday: Tennessee 11, Evansville 6 | Final Stats
Saturday: Tennessee vs. Evansville | 11 am ET | ESPN2
Sunday (if necessary): Tennessee vs. Evansville | 6 pm ET | ESPNU
