How many innings are in college softball games? What to know amid WCWS finals
How many innings are in college softball games? What to know amid WCWS finals
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Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS
It's a Lone Star State Women's College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS.
Two teams remain in the 2025 Women's College World Series, as a former in-state rivalry between Texas and Texas Tech will decide the NCAA softball tournament national champion.
The No. 6 Longhorns and No. 12 Red Raiders are each undefeated at the WCWS so far, as the Longhorns took down No. 7 Tennessee 2-0 in the semifinals and Texas Tech beat four-time reigning champion Oklahoma 3-2.
REQUIRED READING: What are differences between college softball, baseball? Rules to know ahead of CWS, WCWS
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, who transferred from Stanford in the offseason and signed a $1 million name, image and likeness (NIL) deal, has been worth every penny in the NCAA tournament. She has allowed only four runs in her five starts (35 innings) since the Tallahassee Super Regional, which Texas Tech won over Florida State, 2-0.
Texas, meanwhile, looks to finally add its first national championship in program history, despite making its third appearance in the WCWS final in the last four years.
For those tuning in to the sport for the first time this season, here are some of most-asked rules in college softball:
How many innings are softball games?
There are seven innings in college softball games, which is almost always the same number of innings across all levels of softball. That is, unless there are extra innings, which — like baseball — keeps adding innings until one team leads upon the completion of the frame.
NCAA SOFTBALL RUN RULE: Why tournament, Women's College World Series games can end early
College softball run-rule
College softball has a mercy rule, which is enforced even in the WCWS and national championship series. If a team leads by eight or more runs after five complete innings, the game is called early due to run rule.
The NCAA decided to extend the run rule to the finals for the 2023 WCWS after Oklahoma defeated Texas 16-1 in Game 1 of the three-game series the year prior. The Sooners, who were the home team, led 12-1 in the middle of the fifth inning and would have been eligible for a run-rule win under current rules. Patty Gasso's team two more runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
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Fox Sports
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