No. 5 Alabama hands top-ranked Texas first series loss of the season

The Longhorns dropped their first series of the season, 2-1, to the fifth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 10:53pm

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The No. 1 Texas Longhorns softball team suffered their first series loss of the season, dropping 2 out of 3 games to the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. After Texas won the opener 9-1, Alabama responded with wins of 11-4 and 7-4 to take the series. Texas first baseman Katie Stewart hit a pair of home runs in the finale, but it wasn't enough to overcome Alabama's strong offensive performance.

Why it matters

This series loss is the first blemish on Texas' otherwise dominant season so far. The Longhorns were previously undefeated in SEC play, but this series against a top-5 opponent in their home stadium shows that Texas can be beaten, especially on the road. The loss could impact their national ranking and playoff seeding down the line.

The details

In the series finale, Texas first baseman Katie Stewart hit two home runs, including a 2-run shot in the 4th inning to cut Alabama's lead to 4-3. However, Alabama responded with 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th to pull away. Reese Atwood also hit a solo homer for Texas. On Friday, Alabama scored 6 runs in the 2nd inning to take control of the game. Atwood had a 2-run single in the 1st for Texas. In the opener, Texas run-ruled Alabama 9-1 behind a strong offensive performance, including home runs from Leighann Goode and Katie Stewart.

  • On Thursday, Texas pounded Alabama 9-1 in the series opener.
  • On Friday, Alabama won 11-4 to even the series.
  • On Saturday, Alabama won 7-4 to take the series 2-1.

The players

Katie Stewart

The Texas first baseman hit two home runs in the series finale, including a 2-run shot in the 4th inning.

Reese Atwood

The Texas utility player hit a solo home run in the series finale and a 2-run single in the Friday game.

Teagan Kavan

The Texas starting pitcher took the loss in the Saturday game, allowing 6 earned runs in 3.1 innings.

Jena Young

The Alabama player hit a 3-run home run off Teagan Kavan in the Saturday game.

Brooke Wells

The Alabama player hit a 3-run double off Texas pitcher Hannah Wells in the Friday game.

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What’s next

Texas (32-4, 9-3 SEC) hosts rival No. 3 Oklahoma for a 3-game set starting Friday. The Sooners (38-3, 11-1 SEC) swept Kentucky, run-ruling them every game.

The takeaway

This series loss is the first blemish on Texas' otherwise dominant season so far, and it shows that even the top-ranked Longhorns can be beaten, especially on the road against a tough opponent like Alabama. The loss could impact Texas' national ranking and playoff seeding, but it also provides a valuable learning experience as they prepare to face another top-5 opponent in Oklahoma.