Henry on the Horns

New York Times

2 days ago

Follow our coverage of the WCWS from Oklahoma City as the six remaining teams chase the softball national title Imagn Images
Kayden Henry on her Texas team's win over Oklahoma today.
It's time for UCLA vs. Texas Tech. The winner advances to the national semifinals.
Here we go. Imagn Images
We're closing in on our second winners' bracket game of the night, where NiJaree Canady and Texas Tech will take on Jordan Woolery and UCLA. While the Red Raiders enter this matchup on a nine-game winning streak, the Bruins may still have some momentum after taking down former Pac-12 and current Big Ten rival Oregon with a walk-off homer on Thursday night.
In previous matchups between Texas Tech and UCLA, UCLA has dominated with a 5-0 record. The most recent contest between the two teams was in an early-season tournament in February 2022, when the Bruins won a tight 2-1 game.
I have a really hard time picking against Canady, so I'm going with the Red Raiders to finally flip the script on the Bruins and win this one. I will say, though, UCLA has really brought the fight in its past couple of games, with that walk-off against Oregon and another against South Carolina before winning the rubber match against the Gamecocks as well to advance to OKC. I think the biggest question is if the Texas Tech offense can get more than one run to give Canady some room to work with. Imagn Images
Something to look for in this game: UCLA's Megan Grant is batting .333 against NiJaree Canady in her career, with three extra-base hits.
These Bruins hitters are familiar with Canady as she played at Stanford last season when the Cardinal and Bruins were still in the same conference in the Pac-12 before it dissipated ... and before Canady transferred. Imagn Images
We have played seven games in Oklahoma City in the Women's College World Series. One of those games was a blowout (Tennessee's 11-3 run-rule win over Florida). But the other six games have been decided by 10 total runs. Wow. Imagn Images
Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan went the distance today against Oklahoma. She allowed seven hits and two runs, one earned. She walked two and struck out eight.
What a performance in such a big spot. Imagn Images
Our second game today will pit UCLA vs. Texas Tech. That game is slated for a 7 p.m. ET start. It will be broadcast by ESPN. Imagn Images
The Sooners drop into the losers' bracket, and they will face Oregon at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday. That game will be broadcast by ESPN. The winner will face either Texas Tech or UCLA on Monday. Imagn Images
The Longhorns move into the national semifinals, and they will play Monday. They will face either Tennessee, Texas Tech or UCLA. That Monday game will be played at Noon ET and will be broadcast by ESPN.
Oh wow, Teagan Kavan is emotional talking to Holly Rowe after her stellar performance in the circle today, as she shares on the broadcast that her grandma has very recently passed away. Kavan mentioned that her grandmother's favorite part of the day was watching softball, and now, with the "best seat in the house," Texas finally took down its biggest rival. What a great story.
Teagan Kavan just took it to another level!!! She hits 71 mph on the radar to strike out Hannah Coor to end the game! That's Texas' first-ever win over Oklahoma in the WCWS, finally slaying the demon that had been hanging over its head for quite some time and all season since last year's championship series. The Texas defense really came to play today, and Kavan threw a sparkler of a game today.
Ball game. Texas wins 4-2, Teagan Kavan strikes out the side in the seventh inning for the Longhorns, who beat Oklahoma for the first time ever at the Women's College World Series.
What a BEAUTY of a pitch by Teagan Kavan. That screwball just kept going farther and farther outside on the lefty Gabbie Garcia, and that's a massive out for the Longhorns.
T7 - Texas 4, Oklahoma 2
Things are getting interesting, as Nelly McEnroe-Marinas just blooped a ball into short right field that Ashton Maloney couldn't quite get to. The Sooners have the go-ahead run at the plate in Gabbie Garcia, who is 2-for-3 on the day against Teagan Kavan. She has 20 homers this season already ...
T7 - Texas 4, Oklahoma 2
I guess that's one way to deal with Ella Parker, as Teagan Kavan hits her with an inside rise ball to put her on first base (definitely not intentional). Now the tying run comes to the plate in Nelly McEnroe-Marinas ... and we all know the Sooners love themselves a homer in these kinds of situations.
The Longhorns need three outs to advance to the semifinal on Monday. It will be no easy task for Teagan Kavan as she faces the top of the Sooners lineup, including Ms. Clutch herself, Ella Parker.
T7 - Texas 4, Oklahoma 2
We're headed to the seventh inning, and the Sooners have one more chance to keep this game going. They're down to their final three outs. Kasidi Pickering is up first for OU.
That was a BLAST by Joley Mitchell to give the Longhorns an insurance run, her third homer of the WCWS. She really was all over that pitch, and launched that one 257 feet into the left-center-field stands with a 74.8 mph exit velocity.
And she hit the shrug celebration rounding first. That's cold. Imagn Images
B6 - Texas 4, Oklahoma 2
Joley Mitchell crushes a solo home run to left field, and it's her third home run of the Women's College World Series. That's her third home run this week and 17th of the season.