UW Softball Weekly Roundup: Losing Streak Ends, But Struggles Persist
Washington entered the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to solidify its standing near the top half of the Big Ten, but a trip to Columbus instead exposed many of the same issues that have lingered beneath the surface for much of the year. The Huskies dropped two of three to Ohio State, falling 5-4, bouncing back for an 8-2 win, and then losing a 3-2 walk-off in the finale. The series loss left UW at 16-8 in conference play, good for the No.
5 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Friday’s opener set the tone for the weekend in frustrating fashion. Washington played well enough to win for stretches, but not cleanly enough to close.
Ohio State jumped out to a 5-0 lead, Rylee Rehbein pitched great out of the pen to let the Dawgs get back into it, but the rally came up just short and the Buckeyes won 5-4. It was the kind of game UW had managed to survive earlier in the season during its long winning streak, but against a solid Buckeyes team at home, the margin for error proved thinner. Saturday provided a glimpse of what Washington can look like when things click.
The Huskies evened the series with an 8-2 win powered almost entirely by the long ball. Three different players homered (Alexis DeBoer, Jadyn Glab, and Marley Teasley), continuing a season-long trend of UW relying on extra-base damage rather than sustained rallies. That formula worked this time.
The Huskies built an early lead and, unlike the opener, never let Ohio State back into the game. The pitching staff was also steadier, with Sophia Ramuno going the distance and striking out 11. It was a reminder that when UW gets even average run prevention to pair with its power, it is still capable of controlling games comfortably.