4 days ago
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- New York Times
Red Raiders have an answer
Follow our coverage of the WCWS from Oklahoma City as the six remaining teams chase the softball national title Imagn Images
T6 - Texas Tech 2, UCLA 1
Hailey Toney answers UCLA's solo home run with one of her own, and Texas Tech is back on top in the top of the sixth inning. These three days have been outstanding.
AND THIS ONE IS TIED UP! Freshman shortstop Kaniya Bragg just took Nija Canady deep over the right-field wall on a rise ball way up in the zone. Bragg kept her bat on top of it, and Canady's speed did the rest for her to get out of here in the bat of an eye.
All of that momentum, all of that excitement, has just vanished for Canady, and we have a whole new ballgame.
B5 - Texas Tech 1, UCLA 1
Just like that, the Bruins respond, and we're tied as Kaniya Bragg goes deep to right field for a home run.
A key to that play, also, is that Victoria Valdez, the batter up at the plate for that steal of home, was a righty. Valdez did a great job of blocking Alexis Ramirez's sightline to third from behind the plate, so by the time she was throwing the ball back to Tinsley after the pitch, it was far too late.
Needless to say, all of the momentum and energy is swinging Texas Tech's way now after that. What a way to spark an offense, and a total shock for UCLA. In a game where runs are hard to come by, Glasco and Garcia said, time to make our own magic.
Texas Tech pinch-runner Makayla Garcia just STOLE HOME to get the first run of this game on the board. Holy cow what a gutsy call by Gerry Glasco to send Garcia on the pitch, and Taylor Tinsley and Alexis Ramirez had no clue it was happening. This kind of move DOES NOT happen very often, if at all. But wow was that well-executed, as Garcia just dove through the wickets of Ramirez at home plate to give Texas Tech a 1-0 lead.
UCLA challenged the call to see if Garcia left early on the pitch, but upon review, she actually got a pretty late lead off of third.
Seeing that that's actually Texas Tech's THIRD steal of home this season. That has to be a Glasco secret weapon because MAN that is rare. What an awesome, awesome moment.
T5 - Texas Tech 1, UCLA 0
Makayla Garcia steals home and Texas Tech has the lead. What a gamble, and it pays off!
Now I really wish Texas Tech decided to send Lauren Allred home on Nijaree Canady's double, as she just got thrown out at home on a soft grounder to first by Demi Elder.
Things you LOVE to see: a pitcher helping herself on offense. NiJa Canady just drove an outside changeup all the way to the wall the opposite way to give the Red Raiders runners on second and third with one out after struggling to get a big inning going so far in this game. Lauren Allred got this inning started with a single to left, Texas Tech's first leadoff batter to reach base so far in this game.
Coach Gerry Glasco played things a little safe on Canady's double by deciding not to send Allred home as the throw from right field hit the cut. I think she could have made it, and in a scoreless game, why not push it at this point? It wasn't a great throw. But there's still time to make something happen.
Nijaree Canady comes through at the plate and rips a double down the right-field line. That ball was fair by about 2 feet. And here come the Red Raiders in the fifth inning. Runners on second and third with one out.
Lauren Allred has Texas Tech's first hit here in the top of the fifth. She was hit by a pitch earlier in the game and is the only Texas Tech batter to reach against Taylor Tinsley.
T5 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
Still nothing across as Nijaree Canady mows through the Red Raiders in the fourth inning, and we go to the fifth inning with no score. This looks like it could be another long game. Imagn Images
Some Texas Tech players have made some decent contact against UCLA's co-ace Taylor Tinsley, such as that deep foul out by Hailey Toney, who did a good job of getting under Tinsley's tough drop ball to get it up in the air. But it's fair for Red Raiders fans to start to get a little bit concerned, as this offense has been pretty quiet in OKC across a game and a half so far.
Make no mistake, NiJa Canady is comfortable throwing in pressure situations and close games, as we already saw. But run support certainly helps, and so far Tinsley has allowed just one baserunner via hit-by-pitch. The Red Raiders have to start making adjustments in the box, or this one will be over quickly. Imagn Images
UCLA has a tradition this season to throw "parties" in the dugout to spark things on offense, with streamers and a disco ball decorating the dugout, bubbles in the air and players and coaches alike donning party hats. Never in my life did I think I'd see the stoic Kelly Inouye-Perez wearing a sparkly gold party hat while coaching, but here we are. That's the WCWS, and it's the best.
T4 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
Nijaree Canady and Taylor Tinsley have been in control through three innings. Canady has allowed one hit and has struck out two, while Tinsley has held the Red Raiders without a hit.
All these close-up camera angles, allowing us to see dirt flying to spit flying, are part of why softball is such a fun product is the number of cameras that give us a front-row seat, even from our coaches. Did you know when ESPN first started broadcasting the WCWS in 1982 it did so with just four cameras? Now, there are more than 40 cameras. Imagn Images
Seeing Gerry Glasco get so hyped for his team after escaping that jam (and almost getting ejected) is so great to see. This program is reaching new heights with every game it remains in OKC, and that kind of energy is necessary if you're trying to make history by advancing to a first-ever WCWS semifinal.
T3 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
The Texas Tech bullpen is getting warm, as a very, very rare occurrence is taking place in OKC: NiJa Canady is struggling. That's her second walk today, and the ace does not take those lightly. But the changeup she just pulled the string on against Taylor Stephens may have just gotten her back in the groove, as she strikes her out on three pitches.
Now THAT is grace under pressure. Canady just stranded the bases loaded to erase the Bruins' threat.
B2 - Texas Tech 0, UCLA 0
The Bruins are making Nijaree Canady and the Red Raiders' defense work, as Rylee Slimp just beat out Canady's throw for a bunt base hit to give UCLA two runners on with one out. That, on top of some frustration with the strike zone, can send things southward for a defense really quickly, but we'll see if Canady can calm things down here for her team.
