Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Washington State dropped a season-opening doubleheader 10-2 and 6-3 to Sacramento State at John Smith Field Saturday.

Washington State received solo homers from Shane Matheny in game one and Justin Harrer in game two. Freshman Dillon Plew finished the day with three hits and Harrer also drove in three runs in game two.

The Cougars dropped the opener 10-2 after the Hornets broke open a 2-2 tie with eight runs in the eighth inning. Matheny opened the scoring a with solo homer off the right field foul pole in the third inning, jumping in the first pitch he saw for a 1-0 WSU lead. Sacramento State answered with a run in their half of the third, using a two-out bloop single into right centerfield to score a runner from second. The Cougars made a nice defensive play to end the threat on the same play, throwing a second runner trying to score at the plate as shortstop Andres Alvarez took the throw from the outfield and fired home to get the runner.

Sacramento State took a 2-1 lead in the sixth, using a solo homer to left off the WSU bullpen.

The Cougars got some clutch hits from a few newcomers to tie things up in the eighth. Catcher Cory Meyer led off the inning with a line drive single to right field and pinch runner Derek Chapman was then bunted up to second. Following a fly out and a passed ball, Alvarez came through with a two-out single to centerfield that scored Chapman to make it 2-2.

The Hornets erupted in the bottom of the eighth, scoring eight runs off of four hits, one error and two hit-by-pitch.

Cougar starter Damon Jones allowed just one earned run on two hits and struck out four in four innings.

In game two, Harrer provided some power, opening the fourth inning with a towering solo homer down left field line for a 1-0 Cougar lead. WSU added another run in the fifth inning on Harrer's sacrifice fly. Dugan Shirer started the inning with a single and late stole second. J.J. Hancock was hit by a pitch and Plew singled to right center to load the bases with nobody out. Following a strikeout, Harrer drove in his second RBI with a sac fly to left field but that was all the Cougars would get after Sacramento State ended further damage with a strikeout.

The Hornets chipped away and got a swing off of Ryan Walker who had cruised through the first four innings. Sacramento State used a one-out triple and an RBI-groundout to cut the WSU lead to 2-1 after five innings. In the sixth, the Hornets opened the frame with three straight hits and pushed three runs across to chase Walker and take a 4-2 lead.

Harrer was in the middle of things again in the seventh as Plew and James Rudkin each reached with one-out singles before Harrer hammered a 2-1 pitch off the centerfield wall to score Plew. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Alvarez drew a walk that brought home a run and made it a 4-4 game.

Sacramento State took advantage of some miscues by the Cougars in the bottom half of the inning. The Hornets used a hit-by-pitch, an error on a sacrifice bunt and another throwing error after the runner had stolen third base who scored on the play. After a walk, the second runs scored on a wild pitch for a 6-4 advantage. WSU committed four errors in game two after making one in the opener.

Washington State put two runners on in the eighth but grounded into a double play to end the inning and went down in order in the ninth.

Walker went five-plus innings, struck out four and allowed four earned runs on six hits. Plew, Rudkin, Harrer and Shirer each had two hits in the second game.

The series continues Sunday at Noon.