The No. 1 UCLA baseball team suffered a tough 8-0 shutout loss to the Washington Huskies in their series opener at Husky Ballpark in Seattle on Thursday. It was only the Bruins' second Big Ten Conference loss of the season, dropping them to a 26-2 record in conference play. Their only other conference defeat came against No. 15 Oregon earlier this season.
UCLA's batters had a rough night against Washington's right-handed pitching duo of graduate student Jackson Thomas and senior Gunnar Nichols. The pair combined for five strikeouts, five walks, and allowed just three hits while keeping the Bruins off the scoreboard entirely. It was a frustrating outing for a team that has been dominant at the plate all season.
The game remained scoreless through the first three innings, with both teams' pitchers holding their own. UCLA had early opportunities, putting two runners on base in the top of the first when junior outfielder Dean West was hit by a pitch and junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky drew a walk. But neither could cross home plate. The Bruins' first hit came in the third inning on a single by junior first baseman Mulivai Levu.
UCLA's best chance to score came in the top of the fourth when redshirt junior outfielder Payton Brennan led off with a triple to center field off Thomas. But the Bruins couldn't bring him home, leaving the game still scoreless. That missed opportunity proved costly, as Washington struck first in the bottom of the fourth with a 368-foot solo home run to left field by redshirt junior catcher Colton Bower.
The Huskies kept the pressure on in the fifth inning. After sophomore right-handed pitcher Wylan Moss allowed two more runs to start the frame, junior right-handed pitcher Jake Swenson came on in relief. But Swenson also struggled against Washington's hot bats, giving up another run before surrendering a 394-foot two-run homer to center field—again by Bower, who was having a monster game.
Washington's offensive surge finally slowed after a pair of pitching changes in the sixth inning, holding the Huskies at six runs. But the relief was temporary. In the bottom of the seventh, a wild pitch allowed Bower to score his third run of the game, padding the lead to 7-0. The Huskies added one more late-inning run to complete the 8-0 shutout.
UCLA's batters continued to struggle generating offense throughout the game. Despite two Bruins reaching base in the later innings, they couldn't mount a comeback. The series continues Friday, and the Bruins will be looking to bounce back and show why they're the top-ranked team in the country.