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Texas and Texas Tech both have gone undefeated in the Women's College World Series to reach tonight's championship matchup:
Read about how Texas Tech upset Oklahoma here and how Texas reached the title series again here.
The schedule:
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For Texas Tech coach, reminders of late daughter are everywhere at WCWS: ‘She’s been with us’
Those were all close pitches in that at-bat by pinch hitter Anya German, but I don't think she swung the bat once there. She had a .400 average as a pinch hitter.
And now, more umpire controversy: Alana Johnson stole second on that called strike three, but Reese Atwood's throw to second (which Teagan Kavan ultimately cut off) was hindered after her elbow slightly bumped the umpire's mask. Johnson has already been sent back to first due to that, but now Texas is challenging that Anya German was also potentially in Atwood's way on the throw as she was walking toward first, thinking it was ball four. That was out number two.
If this challenge works for Texas, Johnson is out at first and the game is over on a technicality double play. That would be absolutely wild.
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Tennessee's coach chimes in.
Now, Texas Tech has its last licks in this game, this time for its first time trailing in the NCAA Tournament, snapping an 86-inning streak. This offense has been tested time and time again in these close games, and this is arguably its biggest moment. Teagan Kavan has not surrendered an earned run yet in OKC.
T7 – Texas 2, Texas Tech 1
Texas has committed four errors in this game, and that fourth one puts the tying run on the board to start the seventh inning. Can the Red Raiders take advantage?
Reese Atwood FINALLY breaks through for Texas, and it couldn't come at a better time. NiJaree Canady and Texas Tech opted to walk Atwood intentionally to load the bases with two outs. In softball, however, it's not like MLB where you can just tell the umpires and send the runner to first. You have to throw the pitches, and for dominant pitchers like Canady, purposely missing the zone is harder than it sounds. Canady threw some pitches close enough for Atwood to take a chance and swung at what was supposed to be ball four, driving in two runs for the Longhorns to take the lead.
That's Atwood's first hit of the entire WCWS, and that HAS to feel good.
I find this all extremely stressful!
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B6 – Texas 2, Texas 1
Texas Tech was trying to walk Reese Atwood intentionally but the fourth ball got too close to the zone, and Atwood blasted a ground ball to left field to score two runs and give the Longhorns the lead.
What a moment for Atwood to get her first hit of this year's WCWS.
Texas Tech did its due diligence in using its second challenge to see if Kayden Henry left early on that one, as baserunners are not allowed to leave the base for a lead or steal until the pitcher releases the ball. The thing that made that call tough to overturn, besides the fact that her lead was perfectly on time, is that more and more runners nowadays are setting up with their foot beside the bag instead of on top of it.
Kayden Henry stayed on top of that one on a single the opposite way to left, an adjustment that was much needed by this Longhorns lineup to try to get things going. She just got an impeccable jump and is so, so fast on the bases that catcher Victoria Valdez had to rush that throw, giving her no chance to get Henry at second. Texas finally has its first runner in scoring position since the first inning.
That view from the umpire cam on NiJa Canady's pitches just proved how much her pitches, especially the rise, jump through the zone. Not even the many hack-attack-hitting machines college programs now can simulate movement like that. They can try, but nothing is like the real thing.
There has been so much chatter about how much money NiJa Canady got to go to Texas Tech. Here’s a little more on the boosters who made it possible. You’ve gotta love this quote:
“When all the NIL started, our house is pretty football oriented and I said that’s great, but I played (softball), we have two daughters who are active in sports — we’re also going to make sure the girl athletes are getting what they deserve.”
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Nija Canady just climbed the ladder on pinch-hitter Vanessa Quiroga, going from screwball to rise to an even higher rise on the outside corner to get her swinging. As dominant as Canady has been throughout this entire game and tournament, hitters are helping her by chasing pitches that are up and out of the zone. The credit goes to Canady for developing a pitch that can break that late to fool hitters on such a consistent basis.
The team's year-by-year records stop in 1985 and pick up again in 1996, so yep
Did they just say Texas Tech softball discontinued its program for a decade? Wow. That makes this WCWS appearance even more impressive.
A 1-2-3 inning is just what Texas needed to attempt to swing the momentum back in its direction as the top of the Longhorns' lineup is headed to the plate.
We know how aggressive Gerry Glasco can be. While that call to test the arm of Reese Atwood didn't pay off initially, it ultimately did for the Red Raiders. These kinds of decisions by Glasco have earned Texas Tech critical runs, and I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled something similar again if they get another baserunner.
You can tell these Texas players were a little deflated after the obstruction call was made. But like pitchers, those are the kinds of things you have to have a short memory with in this game.
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Texas Tech has scored first in 24 straight games. That's amazing to even think about. How does a team even do that?
Man, I can't stop thinking about how large that call may loom in a game that has been so close and so dominated by these pitchers in the circle. If I were a Texas fan right now, I would not be a happy camper.
T6 – Texas Tech 1, Texas 0
WOAH. That foul ball by Victoria Hunter looked pretty fair at first glance. She was JUST slightly early on a changeup that she pulled down the left-field line. But man, that's one where you hold your breath, that ball just barely missed the foul pole. She just missed tying it up but then pops out for the third out.