Alabama ends streak for Vols

Tennessee’s 17-game winning streak in baseball is no longer, as the fifth-ranked Volunteers were their own worst enemy Saturday night during a 6-3 loss to No. 14 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The Vols committed two errors and a wild pitch through the first two innings to help the Crimson Tide build a 3-0 lead, and Alabama doubled its advantage to 6-0 in the third on Mac Guscette’s RBI single down the right-field line and Justin Lebron’s tworun single to left. Tennessee starting pitcher Drew Beam would bounce back and worked eight innings, retiring the final 13 batters he faced, but the early damage could not be overcome as the junior suffered his first setback of the season.

Tennessee dropped to 18-2 overall, while Alabama improved to 16-3 entering the rubber match of the first Southeastern Conference series of the season for both teams. The Vols won 11-3 Friday night. Sunday’s game is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT on the SEC Network.

The 17-game winning streak by the Vols was the second longest in program history, trailing only the 23 in a row by the 2022 team.

Christian Moore opened the game with a single down the right-field line and Blake Burke followed with a double down the right-field line, but the Vols would come away empty. Tennessee wouldn’t score until the fourth inning on Robin Villeneuve’s home run to left-center field, and Moore added a monstrous solo shot to left in the seventh to make it 6-2.

The Vols pulled within 6-3 in the eighth when Billy Amick was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a Kavares Tears double to left and scored on a fielder’s choice on a ball hit by Dylan Dreiling.

Moore accounted for half of Tennessee’s eight hits, with his 4-for-5 night including a double and the homer.