SCORE: Vols 11, Falcons 1 | FINAL (8 inn.)
Eighth-ranked Tennessee baseball (8-1) is hosting Bowling Green baseball (2-4) Friday night in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in game one of a three-game weekend series. First pitch is at 4:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.
Reminder that the online broadcasts can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. All three games in the series will be broadcast on SEC Network +. First pitch for Saturday’s game is at 5 p.m. ET, while Sunday’s game will get underway at 1 p.m. ET.
You can also watch or listen to the game using the links.
This weekend’s series marks the second for the Vols this season, as they opened their season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington against three different teams. Last weekend, Tennessee swept their first true weekend series against UAlbany, winning 8-5, 21-6 and 12-0 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Tennessee is on an eight-game winning streak since their loss to Oklahoma in the second game of the season. Tennessee’s winning streak includes the sweep over UAlbany and midweek wins over High Point, UNC Asheville and ETSU along with a win over Baylor on the last day in Arlington.
As for Bowling Green, the Falcons are yet to win a series, as they lost two out of three to Middle Tennessee State on opening weekend and lost two of three to Memphis last weekend. Considering those have been Bowling Green’s only opponents so far this season, the Falcons have still only played against teams in the state of Tennessee.
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage through the first nine games of the season, including the most recent RTI Press Pass Baseball Podcast, click here.
More From RTI: Pitching Plan Revealed for Tennessee Baseball’s Series Against Bowling Green
CROSSOVER THROWBACK: Tennessee Beats Bowling Green to Open 2021 Season
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
2B Christian Moore (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
3B Billy Amick (R)
RF Kavares Tears (L)
DH Robin Villeneuve (R)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
C Cal Stark (C)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Top five the same order as Tuesday, as Robin continues to start (7th start of the season).
- Stark handling catcher duties after Peebles did so during the midweek. They continue to rotate pretty evenly.
- Curley returns to the starting lineup. He sat out Tuesday after taking a pitch to the head on Sunday.
- Christian Moore feels like the bona-fide leadoff hitter now.
- Ensley, who hasn’t been an every-day starter, starting for the second game in a row.
BOWLING GREEN STARTING NINE:
P DJ Newman (R)
SS Sam Seidel (L)
CF Nathan Archer (L)
2B Tyler Ross (R)
1B Brady Birchmeier (R)
RF Jack Krause (L)
3B Leighton Banjoff (R)
C Garrett Wright (R)
LF TJ Takats (L)
Pitching Matchup
Vols Jr. RHP AJ Causey (1-0, 1.17 ERA, 2 app. 0 starts, 1 save, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 XBH, .179 opp. batting avg., 0.78 WHIP)
vs.
Falcons So. RHP DJ Newman (1-1, 3.60 ERA, 2 app., 2 starts, 10.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 16 K, 2 XBH, .237 opp. batting avg., 1.30 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Causey gets his first start as a Vol as Tennessee takes a cautious approach with usual Friday night starter, AJ Russell, who is dealing with some soreness.
- Causey was fantastic in his first appearance this season on opening day against Texas Tech, but struggled last week in relief vs. UAlbany
- Causey should be able to go several innings tonight, as Vitello said they will entrust the ball with him for a ‘good amount of time.’
- Bowling Green’s starter, DJ Newman, is a two-way player, as he is also leading off. He is BGSU’s best player.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Icy Whites
Bowling Green: Grey tops, Grey bottoms, Brown caps
*NOTE* There IS a run-rule today. If Tennessee leads by 10 runs in the middle of the seventh inning, the game is OVER.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-DJ Newman strikes out swinging on three pitches.
-Sam Seidel strikes out swinging.
-Nathan Archer strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging on a full count.
-Blake Burke grounds out at first, 3-1.
-Billy Amick hammers a solo homer to the left field porches. 113 mph, 419-feet. His fifth home run of the season.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Falcons 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Tyler Ross knocks a solo home run to right field.
-Brady Birchmeier strikes out swinging.
-Jack Krause grounds out to SS.
-Leighton Banjoff flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Robin Villeneuve strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Dean Curley launches a solo homer to left field. 109 mph off the bat, 419-feet. His third homer of the season.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Falcons 1
3rd Inning:
T3
-Garrett Wright strikes out swinging.
-TJ Takats grounds out to p. Nice play by Causey to stop a hard-hit ground ball.
-DJ Newman grounds out on a chopper right to Causey. 1-3.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Hunter Ensley works a leadoff walk on a full count.
-Christian Moore drives a single into center field. Ensley advances to second.
-Blake Burke ropes an RBI single to right field, advances to second on a throwing error by the first baseman. Moore advances to third. Ensley scores.
-Billy Amick knocks a sac fly foul out to right field. Moore scores. Burke advances to third.
-Burke scores on a Kavares Tears sac fly to LF.
-Robin Villeneuve flies out to RF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Falcons 1
4th Inning:
T4
-Sam Seidel works a leadoff walk.
-Cal Stark picks off Seidel at first. A bullet from Stark.
-Nathan Archer flies out to RF. Roped right to Tears in right.
-Tyler Ross strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Dylan Dreiling pops up to 3B.
-Dean Curley works a walk on a full count.
-Cal Stark flies out to RF.
-Hunter Ensley pops up to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Falcons 1
5th Inning:
T5
-Brady Birchmeier strikes out looking on three pitches.
-Jack Krause grounds out to 2B.
-Leighton Banjoff strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Isaiah Seidel (0-0, 10.12 ERA) on to pitch for Newman*
-Christian Moore works a leadoff walk.
Moore advances to second on a passed ball.
-Blake Burke cranks a two-run homer to left field. Just over the wall (345-feet). Burke’s second home run of the season.
-Billy Amick leaves the yard with a solo homer to right center. 101 mph off the bat. 365-feet. His 6th home run of the season.
*Pitching change: So. LHP Luke Krouse (0-0, 6.00 ERA) on to pitch for Seidel*
-Kavares Tears singles up the middle.
-Robin Villeneuve is plunked. Tears advances to second.
-Dylan Dreiling flies out to CF. Tears advances to third. Villeneuve stays put at first.
-Dean Curley knocks a sac fly to RF. Tears scores.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Falcons 1
6th Inning:
T6
-Garrett Wright grounds out to p.
-TJ Takats strikes out swinging.
-DJ Newman grounds out to 3B.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to p.
-Christian Moore grounds out to 3B. Tennessee challenges the ruling.
Call upheld
-Blake Burke strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Falcons 1
7th Inning:
T7
-Sam Seidel flies out to LF.
-Nathan Archer lines out to RF. Great diving catch by Tears to rob Archer of a base hit. Bowling Green challenges the ruling.
Call confirmed.
-Tyler Ross flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Pitching change: Fr. RHP Owen Poole (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Krouse*
-Billy Amick works a leadoff walk.
-Kavares Tears pops up to 3B.
*Dalton Bargo pinch-hitting for Robin Villeneuve*
-Bargo strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Dreiling ropes a single to RF. Amick advances to third.
-Dean Curley grounds out to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HAlF
Score: Vols 9, Falcons 1
8th Inning:
T8
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Dylan Loy (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Causey*
Final line for AJ Causey:
7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 50 strikes on 78 total pitches.
Allowed just two baserunners and faced one over the minimum. Incredible outing in his first start as a Vol.
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 1, 2024
-Brady Birchmeier grounds out to 1b unassisted.
*Gavin Ganun pinch-hitting for Krause*
-Ganun strikes out swinging.
-Leighton Banjoff grounds out to SS. Terrific throw by Curley and stretch by Burke. Bowling Green challenges the play.
Call Stands
END OF TOP HALF
B8
*Charlie Taylor pinch-hitting for Cal Stark*
-Taylor is HBP.
*Reese Chapman pinch-hitting for Hunter Ensley*
-Chapman is HBP.
*Hunter High pinch-hitting for Christian Moore*
-High grounds out to 2B.
*Ethan Payne pinch-hitting for Blake Burke*
-Payne knocks an RBI single to RF. Chapman held at third.
*Colby Backus pinch-hitting for Billy Amick*
-Backus hits an RBI single up the middle to end the game and run rule Bowling Green.
END OF GAME
Score: Vols 11, Falcons 1
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 11, Bowling Green Falcons 1
