College World Series Recap: Texas A&M takes game one against Vols with 9-5 win

AJ Causey gave up five runs in his second-straight outing, the defense committed three errors, the offense stranded 10 runners on 12 hits and the bottom three batters of the Aggies order went 7-15 with six RBIs as Texas A&M won game one of the College World Series finals.

For the third time in his last four outings, Vols’ opener Chris Stamos managed just one out before getting pulled, though similar to the first FSU game, the defense committed an error behind him that contributed to his early exit. Stamos gave up a lead-off home run, a one-out double before Dean Curley bobbled a ball that put men on the corners. Tony Vitello quickly went to AJ Causey, who struck out the first batter, gave up a run-scoring single — with the run charged to Stamos — then struck out another to end the inning with A&M leading 2-0.

Aggies’ starter Ryan Prager sat the top of Tennessee’s lineup down in order with a Billy Amick strikeout ending the first, while Causey returned the favor in the top of the second with two-straight Ks to start the inning and a ground-ball out to end it.

When the Vols got their chance in the second, Dylan Dreiling and Hunter Ensley each hit a single before Tears fouled off the first pitch he saw for an out. Dean Curley singled next, which scored UT’s first run. Prager needed just four pitches to sit down Reese Chapman and Cal Stark, which ended the second with two men stranded on base. Tennessee cut A&M’s lead to 2-1 but definitely missed the first of several opportunities to plate runs.

The Aggies blew the game open in the T3. A full-count walk started things, then the second of two-straight singles scored the first run. A&M ended up tacking on five runs on four hits with an Amick error that led to another unearned run against the Vols. Causey’s numbers through 3 innings: 2.2 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K with more than 50 pitches thrown.

In a crucial spot, with UT needing a response, Prager struck out Christian Moore, gave up a single to Blake Burke, struck out Amick but then gave up a run-scoring single to Ensley.

Tears struck out to end the home half of the frame, again with two men stranded.

Causey gave up a double in the fourth but managed to throw a zero up on the scoreboard, while the Vols wasted a Curley lead-off base hit by not getting another ball out of the infield. Reese Chapman hit a grounder that moved Curley into scoring position, Cal Stark struck out and Moore grounded out to first. That put the Vols at five runners left on base in four frames.

Both offenses threatened in the fifth, as A&M had three hits and UT’s defense added its third error of the game but managed to get out without a run scored, and the Vols got the first two batters on before two men struck out and Tears grounded out for a scoreless frame.

The defense managed another zero in the top of the sixth despite a no-out walk from Phillips and a base hit allowed by Andrew Behnke. Behnke got the final two outs with a K and a fly-ball out to right. The offense failed to convert again in the B6 as Cal Stark worked a two-out walk, but Moore grounded out to put him at 0-4 for the game.

Each squad had failed to score since the third frame, but A&M effectively sealed the win in the T7 with a Kaeden Kent two-run shot to right off Behnke that pushed the Aggies’ lead to 9-2.

The Vols finally pushed across some runs in the B7. Amick walked, and Dreiling left the yard for a two-run dinger on his third hit of the game.

Then Ensley made it back-to-back jacks, as his third hit went deep and over the fence in left.

Dylan Loy came in during the T8 as Tennessee’s sixth pitcher of the game and worked a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.

The Vols’ offense matched A&M’s effort in the bottom half of the frame, going down in order with a Moore strikeout as the third out. He went 0-5 with two Ks in the game.

A&M scored two runs off the Vols’ errors and went 5-15 with runners in scoring position, while Tennessee had just two hits in 13 chances with runners on second or third base. Christian Moore, Blake Burke and Billy Amick combined to go 3-13, while Dreiling and Ensley combined for seven hits and four of the team’s five RBIs. Every man in UT’s lineup struck out at least once, other than Chapman who only had one plate appearance, and six players struck out twice or more.

UT faces elimination in game two tomorrow at 2 PM.