Success has finally made its way to Husky Ballpark.

With a 1-5 Pac-10 record entering a weekend series against California, UW baseball head coach Ken Knutson told the Husky baseball team that it didn’t have anything to lose.

But it had plenty to gain, trying to claw its way back into the conference race. After weeks of nothing but losing, the Huskies completed a convincing three-game sweep over a conference foe, downing the Bears 9-8 Thursday, 6-2 Friday and 7-2 Saturday at Husky Ballpark.

It marked the first UW three-game sweep of an opposing team this season.

“It just put us back in the hunt,” said UW head coach Ken Knutson. “For everything, for the season.”

The Huskies did it with a triumvirate of superior pitching, hitting and defense, blindsiding the Bears, who have been swept two series in a row.

On the mound, Jason Erickson became the first UW starter in 12 games to pitch at least five innings. He gave up two runs on four hits, while striking out seven batters during eight innings Friday.

On Saturday, Andrew Kittredge fell just short of going five, but still tossed a competent game, going 4 2/3 innings while striking out five.

“It’s sort of normal, the things that [Erickson and Kittredge] did,” said Knutson, noting that stable pitching is what any team would like to have to win conference games.

At the plate, it was the Kyle Conley show.

The slugger from Richland, Wash., went 8-for-11 with two home runs and seven RBI to help carry his team to victory in all three games against Cal (15-17, 3-9 Pac-10). Conley is now batting .361 with 13 home runs and 37 RBI.

But Conley didn’t provide all the offense for Washington; Jake Rife also got in on the act, notching four hits and driving in three runs in 11 at-bats, while other role players like Caleb Brown, Brett Wilcox and David Bentrott all had something to contribute.

“It doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup,” Conley said. “Everybody’s a tough out and everybody can play.”

Washington (14-19, 4-5 Pac-10) also took advantage of several Cal mistakes. Late in Saturday’s game, the Dawgs added three runs on just one hit in the eighth to forge a permanent 7-2 lead after a fielding error by second baseman Jeff Kobernus and a wild pitch and throwing error by pitcher Michael Bugary.

The Huskies, who entered the weekend in the Pac-10 cellar, have climbed back into the middle of the Pac-10 and have shown that they are capable of defeating a tough opponent.

Now, it’s a matter of sustaining their success.

“It’s just important to keep rolling with our momentum from this weekend,” Conley said. “Just keep it going, trying to match that intensity and effort from this weekend, and put that out the rest of the year.”

Reach reporter Allen Wagner at sports@dailyuw.com.