No. 8 Tennessee run-rules Ole Miss for rocky start to first SEC road series
Ole Miss was looking to show things have turned around from last season’s disastrous run through conference play in 2023, but No. 8 Tennessee had other ideas.
Gunnar Dennis had his worst outing of the season and the Rebels offense was slow to get going in the 15-3 loss at rain-soaked Lindsay Nelson Stadium on Friday. Tennessee needed only seven innings to claim the opening game of the weekend series.
The book on Dennis is that he is a contact pitcher but that has worked to his advantage in the JUCO level, but his second outing at the Southeastern Conference level proved it might not be tough sledding. The Volunteers (20-3, 2-2 SEC) roughed Dennis up with four home runs in the first four innings, tagging him for 10 runs — all earned.
Not much worked for Dennis but he did manage five strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work and walked a pair of Volunteers.
With a quick 10-0 deficit the bats for Ole Miss (16-7, 2-2) made Tennessee starter AJ Causey work but could never deliver a knockout blow. Causey gave up five hits and three runs in 5.2 innings of work.
The Rebels left six runners on and went 2-for-13 with runners on and 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Brayden Randle provided the only major offense of the night with his first collegiate home run. The second baseman hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Luke Hill accounted for the Rebels third run off a fielder’s choice RBI in the sixth inning.
With the score out of hand and the game essentially decided some of the younger arms got some work in relief. Kyler Carmack worked 1.1 innings, giving up a run and striking out two Volunteer batters. Freshman Patrick Galle only worked an out after giving up four runs and sophomore Ryne Rodriguez worked the final two outs of sixth.
Ole Miss and Tennessee resume the series on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
