Alabama has handed No. 1 Tennessee its first SEC loss of the 2022 college baseball season. The No. 24 Crimson Tide won 6-3 Friday night in Knoxville. For the first time this year, the Vols are on a losing skid, having also dropped Tuesday night’s game to Tennessee Tech 3-2.

Tennessee took an early 2-0 lead before the Bama bats got going. Alabama DH Owen Diodati had 2 solo home runs. His second homer put the Tide up 3-2.

Crimson Tide infielder Drew Williamson also had 2 RBI, including a triple in the 9th inning that added an insurance run.

Alabama’s Garrett McMillan got the win, posting a line of 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 3 ER. Dylan Ray got the save, going the final 1.2 innings. Tennessee’s Chase Burns was the losing pitcher, allowing 4 earned runs over 3 innings.

Alabama has now won 8 games in a row. The Tide will try to make it 9 and take the series in Saturday’s Game 2, set for 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET.