Huskies huddle after Pitcher Lindsay Lopez got subbed in during Washington's softball game vs. Oregon on March 11th, 2023 at Husky Ballpark. Washington surrendered a few early runs in Saturday's outing against the Bruins in its 4-0 loss.
Everything went south for the No. 10 Washington softball team in its Saturday matchup against No. 3 UCLA.
It was a day of uncharacteristic performances for the Huskies (22-5, 3-2 Pac-12) in their 4-0 loss, with the offense producing just two total hits in their first shutout of the season. Senior Baylee Klingler’s 15-game hitting streak came to a halt after a 0 for 3 performance on Saturday.
It was a rough start for senior pitcher Kelley Lynch (5-2), who surrendered four runs on four early hits, including a pair of home runs in the third inning. Senior pitcher Brooke Nelson (2-0) took over in the fourth, striking out two while only allowing two walks and a hit.
The Bruins (26-3, 3-2 Pac-12) were in control from the start, shutting down the Huskies in the top of the first before capitalizing on a 2-RBI single in the bottom frame. Lynch minimized the damage, stranding runners on first and third to escape the inning.
In the second inning, senior SilentRain Espinoza delivered the first hit of the game for the Huskies with one out, but the offense failed to take advantage.
After Lynch delivered a 1-2-3 inning, Washington continued to struggle at the plate, failing to earn a baserunner in the top of the third.
The Bruins’ offensive power came into play in the bottom frame, crushing two solo home runs to extend their lead to 4-0 over the Huskies. Nelson took over in the fourth inning, shutting down the Bruins in back-to-back innings.
But the bats remained asleep for the Huskies.
After going hitless in the fourth, Washington finally managed to get its second hit of the game in the fifth inning. Once again, the Huskies could not take advantage and left the runner stranded.
UCLA notched another baserunner in the sixth inning, but a composed Nelson retired the side to prevent any damage.
The Huskies had one final chance to pick up some runs in the seventh; however, a quick 1-2-3 inning concluded the game and secured the rebound win for the Bruins.
Washington will look to bounce back and pick up the series win on Sunday, March 19, at noon against UCLA in Los Angeles.
Reach reporter Vinny Speziale at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @vinnyspeziale
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