Former Binghamton University pitcher Scott Diamond earned his first Major League victory Wednesday afternoon as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6.

Diamond (1-2), who pitched 6.1 innings in each of his first two outings, went six innings for the Twins on Wednesday, allowing only three runs on three hits with five strikeouts before departing with a 7-3 lead. Chicago clawed back to make things interesting, but ultimately fell short after scoring three runs in the final two innings.

Twins’ closer Joe Nathan, who nearly blew the save after surrendering two runs in the ninth, secured the victory for Diamond. A fellow America East product, Nathan played college ball for Stony Brook University.

Minnesota pounded White Sox starter Jake Peavy for six runs in the top of the first to give Diamond a healthy cushion before he even took the mound. His only real hiccup came in the third inning when, after allowing a two-out walk, he surrendered a two-run home run to Brent Lillibridge. Paul Konerko doubled in a run in the sixth, but Diamond battled back and recorded the final two outs before any more harm was done.

“Those six runs in the first inning really helped out and really helped ease my mind, but I’m really happy,” Diamond said in a postgame interview with www.foxsportsnorth.com. “This is awesome.”

The outing lowered Diamond’s ERA to 4.82. In three starts, the southpaw has allowed 10 runs on 20 hits over 18.2 innings.

“The kid [Diamond] thew the ball very, very well for his first Major League win,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said during a postgame press conference. “It’s always fun to see them get their first win, their first hit, their first appearance in a game. That’s what it’s all about. We’ve all been through it … It’s a fun thing.”

Diamond, who spent four years in the Atlanta Braves organization, was selected by the Twins with the 27th pick in December’s Rule 5 draft. He made his MLB debut on July 18, allowing three earned runs over 6.1 innings in Minnesota’s 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

At Binghamton, Diamond started 37 games for the Bearcats, finishing his collegiate career with 14 wins.