Washington baseball can’t complete sweep of No. 23 Texas

The Washington Huskies were unable to complete a sweep of the Texas Longhorns in Austin on Sunday.

Coach Jason Kelly and the Washington Huskies had an impressive weekend in Austin, winning the series against the No. 23 Texas Longhorns. The Huskies took home victories on Friday and Saturday, but couldn’t complete the sweep on Sunday, falling 4-3 in 8 innings in the series finale.

The game was delayed by inclement weather and had to end early due to travel restrictions, the second time this season the Huskies have had to end a contest to catch a flight. UW fell to 6-8-1 with the loss while the Longhorns improved to 10-9 behind a strong effort from starter Max Grubbs.

Grubbs went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run, but as they had throughout the series, Washington took advantage of Texas’ bullpen. Left fielder A.J. Guerrero hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, his second homer in as many days to cut the lead to one run, but the Huskies couldn’t find a way to get the tying run across.

After a slow start to the season, Kelly’s team appears to be hitting its stride with the series victory, but the road only gets tougher from here. The Huskies will take to the diamond again on Friday in Corvallis when they kick off a three-game series with the No. 3 Oregon State Beavers.

Washington softball’s bats fall silent in loss to No. 22 Arizona

The Washington Huskies got shut out by the Arizona Wildcats and were unable to complete the sweep in Tucson.

After two straight games of scoring double-digit runs against the No. 22 Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, the No. 7 Washington Huskies were silenced on Sunday, falling 2-0.

Coach Heather Tarr’s team won the series on the road but failed to complete the sweep and sits in third in the Pac-12 behind Stanford and UCLA with a 4-2 record in conference play and 20-4 overall.

Arizona improved to 20-7-1 overall and 3-3 in Pac-12 play, thanks to a tremendous outing from pitchers Miranda Stoddard and Aissa Silva, who earned the win to move to 12-3 on the season. They combined to stifle Washington’s elite offense, holding it to just 3 hits on the afternoon.

First year Sidne Peters got the start in the circle for the Huskies and went 2 1/3 innings, allowing just 2 hits before giving way to sophomore Ruby Meylan.

The 2023 Third Team All-American allowed 4 hits over 3 2/3 innings and took the loss after giving up a two-run home run to Olivia DiNardo in the sixth inning.With the loss, Meylan, who has been Tarr’s biggest workhorse this season, fell to 8-3.

Washington will return to Husky Softball Stadium on March 22 to kick off a three-game series with the No. 16 UCLA Bruins.

Washington softball earns a grand victory over No. 22 Arizona

The Washington Huskies can’t stop scoring, earning another victory over the No. 22 Arizona Wildcats.

Even though Jillian Celis had a three-run home run disallowed after a runner left early, the No. 7 Washington Huskies still found a way to score double-digit runs for the second straight day, winning 11-3 in six innings and earning a series victory over the No. 22 Arizona Wildcats.

After the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, the Huskies immediately tied the game up in the second after Sydney Stewart hit a two-run home run, her third of the season. The sophomore catcher went 4 for 4 on the day, driving in 4 runs on three extra base hits.

Junior Olivia Johnson put coach Heather Tarr’s team ahead with a solo homer in the fourth inning before the Huskies broke the game open in the fifth thanks to a double from Kinsey Fiedler and a two-run single from Stewart. Then in the sixth inning, Brooke Nelson put the contest out of reach with a grand slam, her fourth homer of the season.

Nelson couldn’t be stopped at the plate, going 3 for 3 with 5 runs batted in and combined with Stewart who was batting behind her, Washington’s seventh and eighth hitters in the order went a combined 7 for 7. The bottom of the order was responsible for driving in 9 of the Huskies’ 11 runs, displaying why Tarr’s team has one of the country’s best and deepest lineups.

The Huskies moved to 20-3 overall and 4-1 in Pac-12 play with the victory, while Arizona fell to 19-7-1, and 2-3 in conference play. Washington will attempt to sweep the series in Tucson on Sunday at noon.

Washington baseball takes series against No. 23 Texas

The Washington Huskies continued their winning ways against Texas, winning a weekend series in Austin against the Longhorns on Saturday.

The Washington Huskies can’t be beat by the Texas Longhorns. Coach Jason Kelly’s team won the series against the Longhorns in Austin on Saturday afternoon with a 5-3 victory.

The Huskies were aided by an early onslaught, putting up 3 runs in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from first baseman Jeter Ybarra who was coming off a 5 for 5 night on Friday, and a two-run home run from left fielder A.J. Guerrero, his first of the season.

Guerrero added a run batted in on a groundout in the third inning, as did designated hitter Michael Brown to give Washington a 5-0 advantage. The Longhorns chipped away at the lead, getting solo home runs from center fielder Will Gasparino in the third inning and shortstop Jalin Flores in the fourth.

Left fielder Porter Brown cut Washington’s lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning with an RBI single, but that would end the scoring. Starter Calvin Kirchoff earned his first win of the season, allowing 4 hits and those 3 earned runs over 6 innings while Sam Boyle tallied his first save of the season going the final 3 frames.

Boyle gave up just 3 hits over the final 3 innings, but was outshined by Longhorns reliever Ace Whitehead, as he allowed just 1 hit over 7 innings after coming in for starter Cody Howard, who took the loss and fell to 2-2.

The Huskies moved to 6-7-1 with the win and will attempt to earn their first sweep of the season on Sunday, while the Longhorns fell to 10-8 with the loss.

Washington baseball upsets No. 23 Texas 9-3

The Washington Huskies pulled off a big upset over the Texas Longhorns on Friday night.

Beating the Texas Longhorns has become commonplace for the Washington Huskies. On Friday night, coach Jason Kelly’s team went into Austin and took the first of a three game set with the Longhorns 9-3.

First baseman Jeter Ybarra started the scoring in the third inning with an RBI double, the first of 5 hits for him in a 5 for 5 performance. He became the first Husky since 2019 with 5 hits in a game, adding 4 runs batted in and 2 runs scored to his bottom line.

After starter Jared Engman went just 3 2/3 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, right hander Grant Cunningham came in and stopped the bleeding. The sophomore from nearby Seattle Prep High School went the rest of the way on the mound, throwing 5 1/3 innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts.

Texas starter Lebarron Johnson was excellent over 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits but after the Longhorns turned to their bullpen, the Huskies found their offensive groove. Ybarra tied the game with a two-run single in the seventh inning before left fielder A.J. Guerrero put Washington ahead for good with an RBI double.

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The Huskies put up 6 runs in the seventh inning thanks to a two run single from center fielder Cooper Whitton and right fielder Carson Ohland and added two more in the ninth, one run coming on Ybarra’s fifth hit and third double of the night.

Washington improved to 5-7-1 with the victory, while the Longhorns fell to 10-7 on the season. The two teams will meet for their second matchup in the three-game set on Saturday at 12:30.

Washington softball routs No. 22 Arizona behind massive power surge

The Washington Huskies hit 5 home runs and had no trouble with the No. 22 Wildcats on Friday night.

A three-run first inning is usually a fairly good sign on how the rest of a game will turn out and it was just that on Friday for coach Heather Tarr and the No. 7 Washington Huskies, who took down the No. 22 Arizona Wildcats 13-2 in six innings.

Graduate transfer Jillian Celis turned in a masterful performance at the plate, going 3 for 3 with 5 runs batted in and 4 runs scored. Her three hits all went for extra bases, with a first inning double to open the scoring and a home run in both the fifth and sixth innings.

While Celis was arguably the biggest star of the day, she shared the spotlight with outfielder Alana Johnson, who also hit 2 home runs. In the fifth inning, Celis and Johnson went back to back to stretch the lead and then in the sixth, they hit three straight home runs along with junior Kinsey Fiedler to make the score 13-1.

Johnson went 4 for 4 on the day with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.

Outside of the offensive explosion, Tarr’s team also saw a bounce-back performance from Ruby Meylan in the circle. The sophomore threw a complete game, earning her eighth win of the season, allowing 5 hits, four walks, and 2 earned runs against 10 strikeouts after struggling last Sunday against Arizona State.

The Huskies moved to 19-3 with the victory, and take the diamond again on Saturday at 4:00 for their second of three matchups with the Wildcats, who fell to 19-6-1 with the loss.

Washington fails to complete sweep of Arizona State, falling 9-3

The Washington Huskies hit a bump in the road on Sunday, falling to the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Washington Huskies lost their first game of Pac-12 play on Sunday, falling to the Arizona State Sun Devils 9-3. Outfielder Brooklyn Carter scored on an error following a steal of third base to open the scoring for the Huskies, but it was all downhill from there.

After graduate student Brooke Nelson got the start in the circle and allowed 1 earned run over 2 innings, she gave way to sophomore Ruby Meylan, who had her worst outing of the season. The 2023 Third Team All-American allowed 3 hits, 3 walks, and 4 earned runs in one inning, taking the loss to fall to 7-2 on the season.

The Sun Devils’ four-run third inning was highlighted by a two-run double from outfielder Tanya Windle, who went 3-4 with 4 runs batted in and 2 runs scored on the afternoon.

Coach Heather Tarr’s team tried to claw its way back into the contest in the fifth inning, with an RBI single from Nelson to cut the lead to 6-2, but Windle’s second two RBI double of the day off of Lindsay Lopez in the sixth put the game out of reach.

Rylee Holtorf hit her third home run of the season in the seventh inning, but the Huskies couldn’t muster much else off of Marissa Schuld, who threw a complete game and allowed 9 hits and 5 walks but just three runs.

The Huskies moved to 18-3 on the season following the loss, while the Sun Devils improved to 15-9. Next on the schedule, Washington will travel to Tucson for a three game set with the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats beginning on Friday.

Lindsay Lopez and Washington softball shuts out Arizona State 4-0

Senior Lindsay Lopez tossed a complete game shutout as the Huskies secured a series victory over Arizona State on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Lindsay Lopez got the start in the circle on Saturday when the Washington Huskies took on Arizona State at Husky Softball Stadium. After two scoreless innings, the game saw a rain delay of nearly an hour, but gave the Huskies a chance to warm up their bats.

After play resumed, catcher Sydney Stewart, a sophomore from San Jose, California, was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning. Junior Olivia Johnson sent Stewart to second with a sacrifice bunt, but an error by the Sun Devils sent her all the way around to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

Then, Avery Hobson, a senior transfer from Oklahoma State University, singled and stole second before outfielder Brooklyn Carter knocked a single into right field bringing Hobson home and doubling the lead.

Infielder Rylee Holtorf led off the fifth inning with a double before sophomore Alana Johnson to sail a home run deep to center field to bring home Holtorf and the final runs of the game to clinch the win. Johnson’s bat has been on fire so far this season and Saturday’s blast off the center field logo was her fourth of the year.

The shutout of the Sun Devils moved Washington’s winning streak to 10 games, also giving coach Heather Tarr’s team its first Pac-12 series win of the season. Lopez tossed her first complete game of the season, notching 7 strikeouts, 2 walks and 4 hits, bringing her record to 5-1.

Washington finishes out the series against Arizona State Sunday at noon on Montlake.

Washington track & field wins multiple titles for first time since 2006

Washington’s track and field program finished with two national titles and another two program bests at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships took place this weekend, providing Washington ample chances to continue their strong run over the last few seasons.

The Huskies answered in kind, with two locals taking home multiple individual national titles for the first time since the 2006 outdoor championships. Senior Luke Houser of Woodinville came away with the gold in the mile, while freshman and Olympia native Hana Moll took the title in the pole vault on Friday.

Houser’s title made it back-to-back championships for the senior, the first to achieve the feat in the mile since New Mexico’s Josh Kerr in 2017-18. Only three other Huskies have ever successfully defended a national track title: pole vaulters Scott Roth (2010-11) and Brad Walker (2003-04) and hammer thrower Scott Neilson, who won four straight titles from 1976-79.

Houser became the tenth back-to-back indoor mile champ in NCAA history with his time of 4:01.72, taking a lead on the rest of the pack with 800 meters to go. He continued Washington’s recent run of dominance in the distance event, marking the Huskies’ fourth straight title. The streak began at the 2022 outdoor championships with Joe Waskom (who finished 8th on Saturday), followed by Houser’s first indoor title last season and an outdoor championship from Nathan Green.

On Friday, Moll became the first ever freshman to win an NCAA indoor pole vault title with a jump of 15 feet, 1 inch. A Husky legacy – her dad Eric rowed on Montlake – Moll came into the event as the American high school and U20 record holder and fell just two inches short of her personal best.

Her title was the first national championship since Katie Flood’s outdoor 1,500m gold in 2012 and marked just the second time a Husky woman took home the pole vault title. Kate Soma also won the event during outdoor season in 2005.

The freshman took three attempts at the Olympic Standard of 15 feet, 6 1/4 inches but fell just short of clearing it.

Washington sent 16 athletes to the weekend’s championships, entering as the No. 5 men’s squad and No. 10 women’s team. Seven were named First Team All-Americans based on their results, including Houser, Moll, weight thrower Jayden White, long jumper Preston Artis, heptathlete Bruno Comin Pescador, miler Joe Waskom, and 800m runner Wilma Nielsen.

Pole vaulters Mathis Bresko, Max Manson, and Nastassja Campbell, 800m runners Nathan Green and Carley Thomas, miler Chloe Foerster, and Houser (in the 3000m) were also named Second Team All-America. Both distance medley relay teams also made the second team. The men’s squad of Evan Jenkins, Daniel Gaik, Ronan McMahon-Staggs, and Leo Daschbach finished ninth, while the women’s combination of Foerster, Anna Terrell, Marlena Preigh, and India Weir came in 11th.

White closed his record-setting Husky career with an eighth place finish in the weight throw on Thursday. Artis, a freshman, set a personal best by a full five inches on his first jump with a 26 foot, 3 inch leap that put him in fifth place after qualifying as the 15th of 16 competitors.

Nielsen’s 2:02.33 in the 800m final on Saturday came in a photo finish, as she was just 18 hundredths behind third place finisher Meghan Hunter from BYU. Still, her sixth place was the best finish in school history in the event. Comin Pescador’s fifth place finish in the heptathlon was also the best in school history, breaking a tie between the Spaniard and Jeremy Taiwo, who finished eighth in 2011.

The Husky men finished the event in tenth place with 20 points, their fifth top-10 finish in program history. It’s the second time in school history they’ve finished in the top-10 in consecutive seasons after placing fourth last year; they were also top-10 finishers in 2007-08.

On the women’s side, their 13 points were good for 17th place, the fourth-best finish in program history and best since 2016. It’s the first time in school history that the women have finished in the top-25 in consecutive seasons after finishing in 24th last year.

The Huskies now have a few weeks off before kicking off the outdoor season, scheduled to begin with the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto from March 29-30.

Washington opens Pac-12 play with a 5-2 victory over Arizona State

The Washington Huskies earned a 5-2 victory over Arizona State on Friday to start Pac-12 play off on the right foot.

The Washington Huskies started the final season of Pac-12 softball off on the right foot, earning a 5-2 victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils inside Husky Softball Stadium on Friday night.

Sophomore Ruby Meylan got off to a slow start in the circle, allowing a home run to Kelsey Hall in the first inning which was followed up by an RBI groundout from Sara Kinch in the second, but settled in after that. She ended up throwing her seventh complete game of the season, allowing 7 hits and 1 walk, but striking out 9.

Offensively, the Huskies responded quickly after falling behind 2-0 in the second inning. A 2 RBI single from Brooke Nelson evened the score as part of a 2 for 3 day for the graduate student from Bonney Lake, Washington.

Junior Kinsey Fiedler put the Huskies ahead for good with a 2 RBI single of her own in the fifth inning to give coach Heather Tarr’s team a 4-2 lead. Fielder also went 2 for 3 on the day, overtaking grad transfer Jillian Celis as the team’s leader in batting average with her performance.

Celis still reached base three times in the win, going 1 for 1 with a single and walking twice. She also added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning for her 25th RBI of the season.

Washington has two more matchups with the Sun Devils this weekend, beginning on Saturday at 2:00 and finishing up on Sunday at noon.