UW Baseball Got Buried Early and Never Climbed Back: Huskies Fall 7-2 to No. 13 USC
Washington baseball's first Big Ten series loss of the season came Saturday night, and it was ugly from the jump. The No. 13 USC Trojans jumped all over the Huskies early and coasted to a 7-2 win, leaving UW with a lot of questions heading into Sunday's makeup game.
USC's Explosive Start Put the Game Away Fast
This one was decided in the first two innings, no joke. The Trojans pushed three runs across in the opening frame, then added four more in the second to build a lead that felt impossible to chase. Designated hitter Augie Lopez blasted a solo home run in the first inning to get things rolling. But it was catcher Isaac Cedena who really broke things open in the second with a two-run double. Cedena went 2-for-4 on the day and showed why USC's lineup is legit.
Huskies Tried to Battle Back but Came Up Short
UW wasn't dead in the water completely. Catcher Colton Bower cranked a solo homer in the second inning, his sixth of the season, to at least get the bats going. Shortstop Sam DeCarlo added an RBI single in the sixth to score another run. But here's the problem: the Huskies only scraped together 6 hits total. That's just not enough to hang with a ranked team, even one you're catching early.
Jackson Thomas took the loss and dropped to 1-2 after a brutal start. He couldn't even make it through two innings, giving up 7 runs on 8 hits while striking out one. The bullpen stepped up big though. Gunnar Nichols, Liam Lierman, and Jaxson Gore combined to allow just 4 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts over the final 6 and one-third innings. Too little, too late.
For USC, Grant Grovel earned the win and improved to 5-0. He worked 6 innings and surrendered just 2 runs on 4 hits with a walk and 6 strikeouts.
What's Next
Washington dropped to 9-13 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play with the loss. The Huskies have a chance to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. PT. They need to show up way better than they did Saturday if they want to keep this series from becoming a total disaster.
🐦 What fans are saying on X
See the latest reactions and highlights from Seattle fans about Washington Huskies.
View X conversation →🔮 Trade Seattle Sports on Kalshi
Did you know you can trade on Seattle sports outcomes on Kalshi, the only federally regulated prediction market in the US? Kalshi is available in Washington state. Bet on Seahawks games, Mariners season outcomes, Kraken playoff runs, and more. No sportsbook account needed.
💰 Limited offer: Get a FREE $10 when you sign up!
👉 Sign up at Kalshi.com and use promo code SEATTLEONTAP to claim your free $10.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.