TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (February 14, 2026) – Washington State dropped both games of a doubleheader 8-1 and 11-1 to Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Saturday. The Cougars won Friday's season-opener 8-4.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF GAME 1
Matt Priest recorded a pair of hits in the opener and starter Nick Lewis worked into the fifth while striking out four. Alabama used a fourth-inning two-run homer and a three-run fifth inning to build a 5-0 lead. WSU combined to leave eight runners on base as the Crimson Tide took game one 8-1 to even the series.
 
Both starting pitchers traded zeroes for the first three innings and the Cougars threatened with a pair of baserunners in the third inning but a flyout ended the inning. WSU put runners on the corners in the fourth inning after an Ollie Obenour double and Priest push-bunt single but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat.
 
Alabama took a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth and pushed their lead to 5-0 with a pair of hits and error in the fifth inning. WSU got on the board in the sixth on Mason Pirello's two-out RBI-single into centerfield. The Crimson Tide pulled away with two more runs in the eighth inning.
 
INSIDE THE GAME 1 BOX SCORE
Mason Pirello recorded his 1^st career hit, an RBI-single in the 6^th inning
Erik Rodriguez made his Cougar debut, worked 1.2 innings
Alexandre Giguère made his collegiate debut on defense in the 7^th inning, caught final 2 innings
Austin Sheldon made his Cougar debut, recorded the final 2 outs of the 8^th inning
Brock Cross made his collegiate debut as a pinch-hitter in the 9^th inning
Joel Fernandez made his Cougar debut as a pinch-hitter in the 9^th inning
 
KEY MOMENTS OF GAME 2
Kyler Northrop made his first start of the season and recorded a pair of hits including an RBI-single. Freshman Dane Chavez made his collegiate debut with a start at second base and singled on the first pitch he saw in his first career at-bat.
 
Alabama took advantage of a pair of Cougar miscues to scored five times in the third inning and built a 10-0 lead with a four-run fourth. Northrop singled home Max Hartman in the sixth.
 
INSIDE THE GAME 2 BOX SCORE
Dane Chavez made his collegiate debut
Starter Griffin Smith worked into the 4^th inning
Taber Fast made his Cougar debut in the 4^th inning
August Richie made his Cougar debut in the 5^th inning
Ryan Falke made his collegiate debut with a scoreless 6^th inning including 2 strikeouts
Cole Watterson singled through the right side in the 7^th inning for his 1^st hit of the season
 
NEXT UP
WSU will continue its season-opening 19-game road stretch with a four-game series at Cal Poly next weekend.