KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 1 Tennessee topped Northern Kentucky, 9-3, in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament Regional inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday night.
Cleary Simps was the leadoff batter for the Norse and he hit a solo home run. The early fireworks put Northern Kentucky up 1-0. They got a runner on third base before starting pitcher Chris TSamos was taken out of the game for UT. AJ Causey came in and got two outs to close out the inning.
Tennessee got runners on first and second base in the bottom of the first inning but were unable to cash in with a runner in scoring position.
In the top of the second inning, Causey struck out all three batters he faced, raising strikeout number to four.
In the bottom of the second inning, Kavares Tears got on second base with one out. Reese Chapman singled and advanced on an error that allowed Tears to score and tie the game 1-1. Chapman would not score even though he was in the scoring position.
Northern Kentucky threatened again with a runner in scoring position at third base, but Causey ended the inning again with a strikeout.
UT got the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Tears were walked to bring in one run. Hunter Ensley hit a sac fly to make it 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Bill Amick hit a three-run home run to put Tennessee up 6-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, Northern Kentucky got a runner on third base with one out. Causey got a strikeout and then forced a groundout right back to him, threw it to first base and ended the half-inning.
Lia McFadden hit a solo home run for the Norse in the top of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 6-2. In the top of the seventh inning, a groundout brought in another run to make it 6-3.
Ensley rebuilt the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it 7-3.
Causey finished his day pitching 6.2 innings, allowing two runs and dealt nine strikeouts.
The Vols move on to the winner's bracket of the Knoxville Regional and face Indiana at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
