No. 1 UCLA baseball shutout by Washington in series opener

The No. 1 UCLA baseball team dropped their second Big Ten Conference game of the season in a surprising 8-0 shutout by Washington in the series opener at Husky Ballpark in Seattle, Wash. on Thursday.

The Bruins dropped to a 26-2 conference record with their only other Big Ten loss coming in their second game against No. 15 Oregon. UCLA's batters struggled against the Huskies two-man right-handed pitching crew of graduate student Jackson Thomas and senior Gunnar Nichols, whom registered five strikeouts, five walks and allowed three hits for no runs.

Scoreless first three innings

Both teams' pitching held their own to keep the game scoreless in the first three innings. UCLA got two runners on base in the top of the first with junior outfielder Dean West being hit by a pitch and junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky being walked, but neither would cross home plate. The Bruins first hit of the game came in the third for a single by junior first baseman Mulivai Levu.

First run in the fourth

UCLA started the top of the fourth with their second hit off of Thomas for a triple to center field by redshirt junior outfielder Payton Brennan. Despite the early success, the Bruins couldn't get Brennan to run one more base to get home and they remained scoreless.

Washington got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a 368-foot homer to left field by redshirt junior catcher Colton Bower.

Huskies have a massive fifth

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Wylan Moss allowed two more runs to begin the fifth and junior right-handed pitcher Jake Swenson stepped on the mound to relieve him. Swenson struggled against the Huskies vicious batting attack as well though and after allowing another run, he gave up a two-run, 394-foot homer to center field by Bower.