Fifth-ranked Tennessee baseball strolled into Tuscaloosa looking to extend their 16-game winning streak to 17 games, but a dangerous fourteenth-ranked Alabama team stood in their way.
The Tide’s offense had been just as hot as Tennessee’s 18 games into the season, and they had an above average Friday night guy in Ben Hess.
But none of that mattered as Tennessee dominated Alabama en route to an 11-3 series-opening victory to begin SEC play.
The Vols’ offense stole the show once again with 12 hits and three home runs, and AJ Causey proved he can hold his own against a loaded SEC lineup.
Here’s three quick takeaways from Tennessee’s most impressive victory of the season.
Dylan Dreiling Provides Crucial Spark
Tennessee entered the third inning down 2-1 as the Tide had recorded a pair of solo home runs in the opening frame before an uneventful second inning for both sides.
With two outs and Billy Amick, who walked, on first, Dylan Dreiling provided the spark Tennessee needed with a monstrous two-run home run to right-center field.
Dreiling hammered his seventh home run of the season so hard that Trackman couldn’t even track the distance on the sophomore’s blast.
Dreiling’s two-run bomb was the first of three for the Vols on the night, as Tennessee’s offense haunted Alabama’s pitching staff for the remainder of the night.
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Alabama’s Pitching No Match for Tennessee’s Offense
Tennessee’s bats continued to tee off on Alabama’s pitching as the night progressed. Blake Burke and Kavares Tears each had two-run homers, Dalton Bargo delivered a pinch-hit two-run double, and Cannon Peebles recorded an RBI single in the middle three innings.
Tennessee’s offense has been incredible all season long, but nearly all performances have come with an asterisk next to them due to the subpar competition.
But make no mistake about it. The Vols’ performance at the plate in Tuscaloosa against Hess and some of their top relievers proves they are one of the more dangerous lineups in the country.
AJ Causey Proves He Can Hold His Own Against SEC Competition
In his first ever start against SEC competition in a Tennessee uniform, AJ Causey proved he belonged.
The Jacksonville State transfer started for the third consecutive Friday, and for the third straight week, Causey shoved in a lengthy start.
Causey had a rocky first inning giving up a pair of solo home runs but quickly settled. In his next 5.2 innings, Causey gave up just four hits, one walk and no runs. The junior recorded eight strikeouts, one of which got him out of a bases-loaded jam in the second while another stranded a pair in the fifth.
After a 111-pitch start, a single-game high this season, Causey was relieved by sophomore left-hander Andrew Behnke with two outs and nobody on in the seventh.
Behnke and Aaron Combs then went on to pitch the final 2.1 innings. Alabama’s third and final run came in the ninth via a solo home run, meaning all three of the Tide’s run came on solo blasts.
Up Next
Tennessee will aim to clinch the series against the Tide on Saturday night in Sewell-Thomas Stadium at 8 p.m. ET. SEC Network will have the broadcast, the first televised game for Tennessee this season.
