Aside from a walk in the second inning, fifth-year Brooke Nelson was perfect for No. 4 Washington on Saturday afternoon in a 9-0 run-rule victory over Loyola Chicago.

After an offensive slump on Friday’s doubleheader resulting in a 7-0 loss against No. 7 Oklahoma State and a narrow 2-1 win against South Florida, the offense returned to life on Saturday. A 6-2 victory against Pittsburgh was followed up with a nine-run barrage against Loyola Chicago, but there’s a chance one run would have been enough the way Nelson (2-0) was pitching.

Nelson had five strikeouts and one walk in five innings, lowering her season ERA to .37 across 19 innings. On top of her stellar pitching performance, Nelson delivered an RBI single against Pittsburgh to tie the game before the offense erupted.

Washington’s offense blanks as Oklahoma State pulls through

It was not the offensive performance that the Huskies were hoping for against the Cowgirls.

Aside from a leadoff single by sophomore Brooklyn Carter, Washington failed to get a single baserunner until there were two outs in the seventh inning.

Senior Lindsay Lopez looked good in her first four innings, but the decision by head coach Heather Tarr to leave her in the fifth inning came back to haunt the Huskies, as the Cowgirls took a 3-0 lead. They ultimately would pile on four more insurance runs in the seventh inning to walk away with the victory.

A pair of home runs give Washington the edge over South Florida

Had it not been for solo home runs from junior Kinsey Fielder and Nelson, the Huskies were in serious danger of losing back-to-back games. Luckily for the Huskies, sophomore Ruby Meylan tossed a spectacular complete game that allowed them to pull off the 2-1 victory.

In seven innings pitched, Meylan (4-1) gave up five hits and three walks, giving up one earned run and striking out six. USF scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning, but a popout with two runners on allowed the Huskies to steer clear of danger.

Huskies ride a five-run fifth inning to victory over Pitt

Junior Rylee Holtorf got the scoring started early for the Huskies, driving in her first home run of the season in the first inning before Pitt found themselves up 2-1 in the bottom frame on a two-run shot. The Huskies had no answers until a massive fifth inning.

Nelson delivered a one-out single to left field to score the tying run before Fiedler responded with an RBI single of her own. Senior Avery Hobson had an RBI groundout after a walk and an HBP, which increased the lead to 6-2. Washington didn’t look back, riding Lopez to the finish line as she closed out the final four innings.

Nelson tosses a No-No as Washington defeats Loyola Chicago 9-0

It was three straight scoreless innings to start the game for the Huskies, until a seven-run fourth inning turned the game on its head. The offense put it away by scoring two more in the fifth, allowing Nelson to shut the door and complete the five-inning no-hitter.

The Huskies picked up their first run on a fielding error before sophomore Alana Johnson knocked in an RBI single. Senior Jillian Celis delivered a two-RBI single before Fiedler knocked in an RBI single that scored two runners on a bad throw. Suddenly, the game went from being tied to being 7-0.

The Huskies plated two more in the fifth inning on a wild pitch, followed by a strange fielding sequence that ultimately led to a score after a strikeout. Nelson came in the bottom of the fifth to close out the game, and the rest is history.

Washington will look to finish the weekend on a high note as it faces Yale on Saturday at 4 pm.