Washington softball falls for third consecutive Sunday loss

The Washington Huskies haven’t been able to secure a sweep over a conference opponent just yet, which continued on Sunday against the UCLA Bruins.

After taking a series from the UCLA Bruins for the first time since 2016 on Saturday, coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies were unable to complete a sweep of the No. 14 Bruins, falling 6-0. The No. 8 Huskies have been unable to come away unscathed against any opponents in Pac-12 play this season, as Sunday’s loss marks their third consecutive defeat when looking for a sweep.

The Huskies were able to get out to a quick lead in each of the first two games, scoring a total of 7 runs in the first inning on Friday and Saturday, but it was the Bruins who jumped ahead with an early lead thanks to a home run from shortstop Maya Brady.

Brady shouldered the load offensively for the Bruins, also blasting a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give UCLA a 6-0 lead. Infielder Jordan Woolery also hit a solo homer as the Bruins found a power surge after struggling to break through in key situations against Washington’s pitching staff all weekend.

At the same time, UCLA’s pitching found its groove as Kaitlyn Terry had a masterful performance in the circle. She allowed just three baserunners on 2 hits and 1 walk and moved to 9-0 on the season with her complete game shutout, while graduate student Brooke Nelson took her first loss of the season for the Huskies.

Nelson allowed 4 hits and 2 earned runs over 2 innings of work and moved to 4-1 on the season, while the Huskies fell to 22-5 overall and 6-3 in Pac-12 play. With the win, UCLA improved to 18-8 on the year and 4-2 against conference opponents.

Tarr’s team will return to the diamond on Thursday as they open a three-game series against the Oregon State Beavers at Husky Softball Stadium.