Washington softball drops for third straight week in USA Softball poll

After getting swept by their arch rivals, the Oregon Ducks, on the road in Eugene, the Washington Huskies slipped for the third straight week in the Week 11 installment of the USA Softball poll.

Coach Heather Tarr's team dropped two spots to No. 22, leaving them at the bottom of the four ranked teams in the Big Ten Conference, behind No. 3 Nebraska, No. 7 UCLA, and the No. 14 Ducks, who jumped up four spots following the sweep.

As the Huskies struggled to drive in runs in key spots and keep the Ducks in the yard, 14 of the 16 runs Washington's pitching staff allowed in the series came by way of the home run ball, while they dropped from the top of the conference standings to fourth after going 4-6 in their last ten contests.

While stars Alexis DeBoer, Giselle Alvarez, and Jadyn Glab have continued to lead the way for the lineup, Washington has also enjoyed the breakout of freshman outfielder Kaycie Burdick, whom Tarr has entrusted as her new leadoff hitter. Burdick leads the Huskies with a .398 batting average, which is good for No. 12 in the conference, to go along with a .998 OPS, 49 hits, 18 walks, a pair of home runs, and 27 runs batted in.

Although she struggled against the Ducks and dropped to 22-5 on the year, Morgan Reimer has been one of the best pitchers in the conference all season long. With a 2.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts on the year, Tarr is going to continue leaning on her ace with just six games remaining in the regular season.

As the Huskies look to regain momentum and host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2023 after ripping off a 20-game win streak earlier in the year, the road won't get any easier when the No. 7 Bruins make their way to Seattle on Friday to kick off a three-game series.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies drop for third straight week in USA Softball poll