Texas Tech ends Oklahoma's 4-year run as Women's College World Series champ with walk-off 3-2 win
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma's run of four straight Women's College World Series titles ended when Lauren Allred's walk-off sacrifice fly gave Texas Tech a 3-2 victory in the semifinals on Monday night.
Coach Patty Gasso's Sooners (52-9) were down to their last strike in the top of the seventh inning when Abigale Dayton summoned a bit of magic, hitting a tying two-run homer against Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady. It was just her third longball of the season.
But the Red Raiders (53-12) responded quickly in the bottom half. Mihyia Davis singled with one out and Hailey Toney followed with a double. Allred hit a flyball to right field and Sydney Barker's throw to the plate was wide, allowing Davis to score easily.
Texas Tech, in its first trip to the WCWS, will play Texas in the best-of-three championship series starting Wednesday. The Longhorns reached the finals for the third time in the past four years. They lost to Oklahoma in 2022 and 2024.
Oklahoma had won nine straight elimination games.
Canady lost the shutout but got the win. She is the two-time reigning National Fastpitch Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year and was the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year last season.
Formerly with Stanford, Canady signed a name, image and likeness deal worth more than $1 million to go to Texas Tech.
___
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