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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 3 Tennessee homered in each of the first four innings to build a six-run lead over University of Missouri baseball, then relied on a shutdown relief performance by AJ Causey to claim a 10-1 victory over the Tigers in the opening game of the two clubs’ Southeastern Conference series Thursday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Volunteers (35-7, 13-6 SEC), who entered the contest with an NCAA Division I-leading 115 home runs, relied exclusively on the long ball to take control against the Tigers (19-24, 6-13 SEC). Each of UT’s first four hits in the game left the yard, and the Vols scored all of their runs on six total home runs, marking the fifth time this season Tennessee has gone deep six times in a game.
Billy Amick accounted for two of those, as the junior third baseman hit a solo shot in the third before blasting a three-run homer in the sixth to extend the lead to 9-0.
From that point, Causey (7-3) limited the Tigers to a seventh-inning Danny Corona solo shot. The right-hander struck out six hitters and scattered six hits over 6.0 innings, working into the ninth inning to earn his seventh victory of the season.
UT set the tone for the contest early, as Christian Moore’s leadoff blast to left-center opened the home half of the first. With two out in the second, Cal Stark delivered the first of two three-run homers for the Vols, driving a full-count offering from Ryan Magdic (1-1) out of the park for a 4-0 UT lead.
Mizzou’s offense generated scoring threats in two of the first three innings as well, but UT pitching kept the Tigers off the board in each instance thanks to inning-ending strikeouts. With two out in the first, Trevor Austin and Jedier Hernandez came through with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, but Vols starter Chris Stamos got Mateo Serna to chase a third strike to get out of the inning. In the third, Corona led off with a base hit, before Austin drew a two-out walk to give MU a pair of baserunners once again. But Causey followed Stamos lead, striking out Hernandez to keep the Tigers scoreless.
Following Amick’s first homer of the game that made it a 5-0 game, Hunter Ensley hit the fourth Volunteers round-tripper in the fourth to make it a six-run contest. Amick added his second homer in the sixth, before Cannon Peebles notched a pinch-hit home run in the eighth to cap the scoring.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- With the setback, the Tigers’ series lead over the Vols was trimmed to 17-14.
- Kaden Jacobi struck out a career-high four batters in his 2 1/3 innings of relief.
- Jacob Peaden matched his Mizzou career high for strikeouts, also recording four punchouts.
- In his first start as a Tiger, Magdic worked 3.0 innings, striking out three Vols and allowing just the three early homers.
- Three MU hurlers—Magdic, Peaden and Jacobi—combined to strike out 11 Tennessee hitters.
- Corona homered in his second consecutive contest, logging a 2-for-3 night and reaching base safely in three of his four total trips to the plate.
- Tennessee’s six home runs marked the most by a Mizzou opponent since Ole Miss hit six round-trippers on May 6, 2023 at Taylor Stadium.
- Brock Daniels saw his career-best 10-game hit streak come to an end with an 0-for-3 night.
- Austin logged his team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 performance.
- Serna recorded his second two-hit effort in a row following his first multi-hit game as a Tiger in Tuesday’s win over Missouri State.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Tennessee continue their series with a 5:30 p.m. (CDT) contest Friday, before concluding the weekend with an 11 a.m. game Saturday.
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