Washington baseball lets late lead slip away in 6-5 loss to No. 1 UCLA

TL;DR

The Washington Huskies lost 6-5 to No. 1 UCLA after leading 5-2 in the eighth inning. A late error and a two-run double allowed UCLA to take the lead and secure the victory.

Key points

Washington led 5-2 going into the eighth inning
UCLA scored four runs in the final two innings
Bryce Johnson took the loss for Washington

Washington HuskiesUCLA BruinsBryce JohnsonSam DeCarlo

The Washington Huskies had a golden opportunity to steal another game from the No. 1 UCLA Bruins, but with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning, it slipped away in a 6-5 loss on Friday night.

Coach Eddie Smith's team held a 5-2 lead going into the eighth inning, but after getting two quick outs to start the frame, Jack Wade walked the next three batters before he was removed for Bryce Johnson, who eventually got out of the inning. However, he allowed a pair of inherited runners to score on a single from left fielder Jarrod Hocking before the Huskies could escape.

Then, in the ninth inning, it looked like Johnson was able to seal the victory after getting center fielder Will Gasparino to ground to shortstop with two down, but an error from Sam DeCarlo extended the inning and allowed catcher Cashel Dugger to give the Bruins their first lead of the series with a two-run double. While the Huskies were able to get two runners on in the ninth inning, catcher Ethan Swidler struck out looking to end the contest.

Johnson took the loss and dropped to 0-4 on the year after working 1 1/3 innings and allowing 2 runs (none earned) on 3 hits with a walk and 3 strikeouts on a day where starter Noah Kenney lasted just 3 innings, and let up a hit and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts.

The loss saw another big performance from left fielder Jackson Hotchkiss fall by the wayside, as the projected 2027 first-round pick launched his 19th home run of the year—a two-run blast—as part of a 2-for-4 night with a walk, while first baseman Casen Taggart added a two-run triple in the third inning, and center fielder Mic Paul went 1-for-2 with 3 walks, an RBI, and a run scored.

Cal Randall earned the win for the Bruins after working 1 2/3 innings in relief, letting up just 1 hit with 3 strikeouts before giving way to one of the nation's top closers, Easton Hawk, who walked 2 batters and struck out 2 on his way to his 14th save of the year.

With the loss, the Huskies dropped to 23-30 on the year and 12-17 in Big Ten play. The two former Pac-12 foes will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. PT.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies can't seal upset in 6-5 loss to No. 1 UCLA Bruins

Q&A

What led to Washington's loss against UCLA?

Washington lost after leading 5-2, as a late error and a two-run double in the ninth inning allowed UCLA to take the lead.

Who was the losing pitcher in the Washington vs UCLA game?

Bryce Johnson was the losing pitcher for Washington, dropping to 0-4 on the year after allowing 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

How did the game change in the eighth and ninth innings?

Washington allowed three walks in the eighth, leading to two runs, and an error in the ninth extended the inning, allowing UCLA to score two more runs.