FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (February 14, 2025) – Washington State baseball opened the 2025 season with a doubleheader at fourth-ranked Arkansas and dropped a 3-2 decision in ten innings in game one and a 14-2 seven-inning contest in game two at Baum-Walker Stadium Friday.
 
In game one, Cougar starter Griffin Smith worked five scoreless frames and struck out four while right fielder Logan Johnston collected two hits including a solo homer in the sixth. WSU took a 2-1 in the top of the tenth before Arkansas rallied with two runs in the bottom of the frame for a 3-2 win.
 
In game two, Arkansas scored twice in the opening frame, WSU made it a one-run game in the fourth but UA scored six in the fourth. Razorback starter Zach Root tallied eight strikeouts in five innings to earn the win.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF GAME 1
Cougars put runners on the corners with two outs in the third but Arkansas ended the threat with a fielder's choice groundout. Smith stranded a pair of Razorback runners to end the fourth and used a 6-4-3 ground ball double play to end the fifth.
 
Johnstone gave the Cougars the 1-0 lead with a two-out solo home run to right field in the sixth but Arkansas evened things up with a sacrifice fly to centerfield in the bottom of the frame. UA would have had another run score on the flay but centerfielder Cole Watterson made a nice sliding catch into the wall in left-centerfield to prevent an extra-base-hit on the play.
 
The Razorbacks threatened in the ninth but reliever Bryce Chambers entered from the bullpen and struck out the only batter he faced to strand runners on second and third.
 
In the tenth, freshman Ollie Obenour reached on a fielding error, was bunted to second and came around to score on an Arkansas throwing error for a 2-1 lead. The Razorbacks rallied in their half of the tenth, tying the game after three walks and wild pitch before bringing home the game-winner with a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
INSIDE THE GAME 1 BOX SCORE
Ollie Obenour singled to right field in the 7th for his 1st career hit
Cole Watterson singled to centerfield in the 10th for his 1st career hit
Reliever Troy Shepard worked 3.2 innings, struck out 3
Bryce Chambers struck out the only batter he faced to end the 9^th
 
KEY MOMENTS OF GAME 2
Arkansas pushed a pair of runs across in the first inning on an RBI-double off the WSU third baseman and later made it 2-0 with an RBI-groundout to second. Cougar starter Nick Lewis posted pair of scoreless frames in the second and third innings and recorded three strikeouts in his WSU debut.
 
Washington State made it a one-run game after a pair of hit-by-pitches followed by Ollie Obenour's RBI-fielder's choice groundout. The Razorbacks answered with six runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and pulled away with two more in the sixth for an 11-2 advantage.
 
INSIDE THE GAME 2 BOX SCORE
Jonah Shull singled through the left side in the 1^st for his 1^st career hit
Ollie Obenour picked up his first career RBI on a fielder's choice groundout in the 4^th
Griffin Myers had a pinch-hit RBI-single in the 6^th
Kooper Jones made his collegiate debut, taking over behind the plate in the 6^th
Jones beat out an infield single in the 7^th for his 1^st career hit
 
NEXT UP
The series continues with a single game Saturday at 11 a.m. (PT).