The Huskies’ loss to No. 1 UCLA Wednesday was tough, but the 25th-ranked Huskies recovered well last weekend.

Washington (24-12-1, 3-3 Pac-10) dropped California Friday before splitting a pair of games against No. 7 Stanford Saturday and Sunday.

“It was a pretty good weekend,” UW coach Heather Tarr said. “I’m disappointed it ended like that, but Stanford is a really good team. They’re in the top 10, and they showed us why they’re able to win the games they win.”

The Huskies bounced back from Wednesday’s loss right away by taking a 2-1 decision from No. 23 California Friday. Washington’s Aleah Macon went the distance, striking out nine batters while allowing just one run on four hits.

Macon surrendered the Golden Bears’ lone run in the first inning, giving up a single after she had walked the bases loaded.

From that point on she settled into her groove to earn the win.

Jace Williams doubled in the third inning to score Marnie Koziol, then raced home with the game’s final run on a Cal error one batter later.

Macon took care of things the rest of the way, retiring the last 12 batters she faced to secure the UW victory.

“That was huge,” Tarr said. “It’s important to come back right away and pick one up like that.”

Yet Saturday’s 4-1 win over Stanford (34-7, 1-5 Pac-10) may have been Macon’s best outing of the year. She held the Cardinal scoreless until the sixth inning, recorded a career-high 12 K’s and again allowed just four hits — this time against the nation’s No. 7 team.

“She came out today ready to give it to a team,” second baseman ***** Bailey Stenson said.

Macon had help from the get-go. The Huskies plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning, picking up two on an Ashlyn Watson single before Alicia Blake drove in one more on a fielder’s choice. Watson was three for three on the day with one run scored and two RBIs.

Rosey Neill’s solo home run in the sixth provided the Cardinal’s lone run.

Yesterday Stanford finally registered its first conference win of the season, besting the Huskies 3-1.

Morgan Stuart got the Huskies on the board in the first inning, singling home Williams — who had reached on a double — to give the UW an early lead.

A pitcher’s duel between Stanford starter Missy Penna and Washington’s Caitlin Noble was interrupted in the top of the fourth inning, when a double by the Cardinal’s Melisa Koutz drove in two runs to swing the lead in Stanford’s favor. The Cardinal added another run in the fifth inning, when Tricia Aggabao scored on a wild pitch to claim a 3-1 lead.

Noble took the loss, working four and two-thirds innings and allowing all three Stanford runs in five hits. Macon pitched two and one-third innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and yielding three hits.

“I thought she threw well,” Tarr said of Noble. “She’s trying to just throw strikes and cut down on the walks.”

The Huskies will next travel to Arizona for a single game against the Wildcats in Tucson, Ariz., before traveling to Tempe, Ariz., for two games against Arizona State.

[Reach reporter Christian Caple at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.]