Alabama Routs Washington State 11-1 in Series Finale

Crimson Tide bounce back after disappointing series opener to sweep Saturday's doubleheader

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Washington State Cougars 11-1 in the series finale, avoiding an upset after dropping the series opener. Freshman pitcher Myles Upchurch earned the win in his collegiate debut, tossing four shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Alabama's offense exploded for 11 runs, including a two-run homer from Justin Lebron and RBI hits from Andrew Purdy and Brady Neal.

Why it matters

This win was an important bounce-back for Alabama after a disappointing series opener, allowing them to avoid an upset and take the series against Washington State. The strong performance from Upchurch in his debut and the offensive outburst are positive signs for the Crimson Tide as they look to build momentum in the early part of the season.

The details

Upchurch was dominant in his first collegiate start, striking out nine batters and only allowing two hits and two walks in four shutout innings. Alabama's offense broke the game open in the third inning, scoring five runs to take a 6-0 lead. The Crimson Tide tacked on five more runs over the next two innings to cruise to the 11-1 victory.

  • Upchurch made his collegiate debut on February 15, 2026.
  • The game was the third of the season for both Alabama and Washington State.

The players

Myles Upchurch

A freshman pitcher who earned the win in his collegiate debut, tossing four shutout innings with nine strikeouts.

Justin Lebron

An Alabama player who hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to extend the Crimson Tide's lead.

Andrew Purdy

A freshman first baseman for Alabama who had two RBI singles to help power the Crimson Tide's offense.

Brady Neal

Alabama's catcher who drove in two runs with a single in the fourth inning.

Griffin Smith

The Washington State starting pitcher who was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings.

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What’s next

Alabama will head to Birmingham to take on Samford in its first midweek game of the 2026 season.

The takeaway

This was an important bounce-back win for Alabama after dropping the series opener, as they were able to avoid an upset and take the series against Washington State. The strong performance from freshman pitcher Myles Upchurch and the offensive outburst are positive signs for the Crimson Tide as they look to build momentum early in the season.