TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – An early five-run deficit proved too much to overcome, as No. 12 Alabama baseball dropped Friday’s tilt to top-ranked Tennessee, 10-7, in front of a sold-out Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Trailing by five runs entering the home half of the ninth, Alabama brought the tying run to the plate, though the rally was halted by a game-ending strikeout. The result drops the Tide to 22-2 overall and 4-1 in Southeastern Conference play.

Justin Lebron closed his night with a 2-for-5 effort, highlighted by an RBI single and two stolen bases. Kade Snell was also 2-for-5, while Richie Bonomolo Jr. managed a 2-for-3 line, adding a hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases. Bryce Fowler recorded a team-high two RBI on Friday, including an RBI single in the eighth. Coleman Mizell produced a solo home run to finalize his 1-for-5 evening, as Jason Torres and Brennen Norton each managed RBI singles.

Riley Quick (4-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season, surrendering five earned runs in 2.0 innings of work. JT Blackwood and Austin Morris combined to throw 4.0 scoreless innings, with Morris retiring all six Volunteers he faced. Connor Ball, Packy Bradley-Cooney and Jack Ketchum each turned in scoreless relief efforts in the later innings.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

“What a baseball game. There was so many opportunities for our kids to check that thing in, but they didn’t. I thought JT Blackwood and Austin Morris were outstanding in the middle innings and did a great job of settling the game down and getting some zeros. We were in a two-run game with two outs and nobody on in the seventh but we just couldn’t get off the field in the seventh and eighth, but you have to credit Tennessee for stringing at-bats together. But, our guys just kept showing up and competing. I thought we were tough as nails, but toughness doesn’t guarantee you success. Just a couple too many mistakes tonight.”

How It Happened

• T1 | Five Volunteers reached base to open the game, with the first three men scoring on a pair of RBI singles and a fielder’s choice. (3-0, Tennessee)
• T2 | A one-out single and a two-out walk both came around to score as result of two RBI singles. (5-0, Tennessee)
• B3 | Will Plattner and Richie Bonomolo Jr. hit back-to-back singles to open the inning, placing runners on the corners with nobody out. After Bonomolo stole second, an errant throw to third allowed Plattner to score and advanced Bonomolo Jr. to third. Bryce Fowler then hit a grounder to second, pushing Bonomolo Jr. home. (5-2, Tennessee)
• B5 | Bonomolo Jr. was plunked by the first pitch of the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a groundout, Justin Lebron drove Bonomolo Jr. home with a line-drive single to right. (5-3, Tennessee)
• T7 | A two-out Volunteers double to right drove home a two-out walk. (6-3, Tennessee)
• B7 | Lebron led off the inning with a single before swiping second and moving to third on a groundout. The Tide shortstop came home to score thanks to Jason Torres’ RBI single. (6-4, Tennessee)
• T8 | UT struck for four runs on three hits, including a two-run home run and a two-run single. (10-4, Tennessee)
• B8 | With two outs, Plattner was hit by a pitch, advancing to second after Bonomolo Jr. sent a single to left. Fowler then drove in Plattner with a single to center. (10-5, Tennessee)
• B9 | Coleman Mizell blasted a one-out solo homer to right before Torres drew a four-pitch walk. Will Hodo followed Torres with a single to left, leading to Brennen Norton’s RBI single. (10-7, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

• Alabama pitchers recorded 14 strikeouts, tying the season-high mark that was set against Ohio State on Feb. 23
• Including four stolen bases on Friday, the Tide has now stolen 32 bases in 24 games, surpassing its 2024 stolen base total of 29 set in 57 contests
• Austin Morris fanned four of the six batters he faced, matching his career-best strikeout total
• Tyler Fay also matched his career-best total, punching out three batters in his 1.2 innings
• Will Hodo extended his hitting streak to 11 games on Friday. The senior is 19-for-44 (.432) with four doubles, a triple, four home runs, 14 RBI and 11 runs during that stretch
• Hodo also extended his on-base streak to 24 consecutive games
• Coleman Mizell advanced his on-base streak to 23 games, while Kade Snell has now reached base in 21 straight games
• Will Plattner extended his hitting streak to six games, going 10-for-21 (.476) with three doubles, three RBI and five runs scored in that stretch
• Friday marked the Crimson Tide’s first sellout crowd of the new season and the 45^th sellout since 2016
• ATTENDANCE: 5,800

Up Next

• Alabama will aim to secure the series win when the Tide and Volunteers return to Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Saturday, March 22
• The rubber-game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. CT start, with the game airing on SEC Network+