Latest news with #Women'sCollegeWorldSeriesFinal
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WCWS Game 3: Texas Tech vs. Texas softball live updates, highlights from the Women's College World Series
Texas Tech tied up the Women's College World Series with a 4-3 victory over Texas on Thursday night. (Photo by) The Women's College World Series between Texas and Texas Tech is going down the wire with a deciding Game 3 set for Friday evening. After two slugfests to start the series, seven innings (barring extras) will now decide where the softball national title will end up in Texas. The Longhorns overcame a 1-0 deficit to win Game 1, courtesy of Reese Atwood's heroics in the sixth inning. As the Red Raiders attempted to intentionally walk the catcher, Atwood swung and drove in two runs for Texas to go up 2-1 for a one-game lead in the WCWS. Advertisement Thursday's Game 2 was a barnburner, starring NiJaree Canday's dominance on the mound as Texas Tech tied the series with a 4-3 victory. Canady allowed two earned runs and six hits while striking out six batters, including Kayden Henry to end the game. Before Canady's late-game effort, Texas Tech broke the scoreless deadlock with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Longhorns closed the gap by scoring on a double at the bottom of the seventh. However, Canady preserved the lead just enough for Texas Tech to force a winner-take-all Game 3. She was rewarded for those efforts ahead of Game 3, as her manager told ESPN that Canady had signed a new seven-figure NIL deal. When asked what the team's mindset was after the game, junior Mihiya Davis, who had two hits, said, "Forget about this, we still got another one to go." "We don't want to lose, so just going up there and fighting for each other," Davis added. The winner of Friday's Game 3 will take their program's first national championship home after both sides contributed to derailing Oklahoma's four-year title reign. Advertisement How to watch Texas Tech vs. Texas in Game 3 of WCWS Date: Friday, June 6 Start time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Devon Park | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TV channel: ESPN Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from Game 3 of the 2025 Women's College World Series Final:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WCWS Game 3: Texas Tech vs. Texas softball live updates, highlights from the Women's College World Series
Texas Tech tied up the Women's College World Series with a 4-3 victory over Texas on Thursday night. (Photo by) The Women's College World Series between Texas and Texas Tech is going down the wire with a deciding Game 3 set for Friday evening. After two slugfests to start the series, seven innings (barring extras) will now decide where the softball national title will end up in Texas. The Longhorns overcame a 1-0 deficit to win Game 1, courtesy of Reese Atwood's heroics in the sixth inning. As the Red Raiders attempted to intentionally walk the catcher, Atwood swung and drove in two runs for Texas to go up 2-1 for a one-game lead in the WCWS. Advertisement Thursday's Game 2 was a barnburner, starring NiJaree Canday's dominance on the mound as Texas Tech tied the series with a 4-3 victory. Canady allowed two earned runs and six hits while striking out six batters, including Kayden Henry to end the game. Before Canady's late-game effort, Texas Tech broke the scoreless deadlock with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Longhorns closed the gap by scoring on a double at the bottom of the seventh. However, Canady preserved the lead just enough for Texas Tech to force a winner-take-all Game 3. She was rewarded for those efforts ahead of Game 3, as her manager told ESPN that Canady had signed a new seven-figure NIL deal. When asked what the team's mindset was after the game, junior Mihiya Davis, who had two hits, said, "Forget about this, we still got another one to go." "We don't want to lose, so just going up there and fighting for each other," Davis added. The winner of Friday's Game 3 will take their program's first national championship home after both sides contributed to derailing Oklahoma's four-year title reign. Advertisement How to watch Texas Tech vs. Texas in Game 3 of WCWS Date: Friday, June 6 Start time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Devon Park | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TV channel: ESPN Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from Game 3 of the 2025 Women's College World Series Final:
New York Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Texas' Reese Atwood makes Texas Tech superstar NiJaree Canady pay on failed intentional walk
Texas Tech softball superstar NiJaree Canady is so good at throwing strikes that it cost the Red Raiders their game Wednesday night. The Red Raiders were just four outs away from securing a victory in Game 1 of the Women's College World Series Final — and Canady was having no issues mowing down Texas' order as the Longhorns still had a doughnut on the scoreboard in the 1-0 game. Then came the chaos. 3 NiJaree Canady and Texas Tech will now have to win two straight against Texas to win the WCWS. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images With two runners on, Canady elected to intentionally walk Texas catcher Reese Atwood. But on what was supposed to be ball four, Canady left her pitch out over the plate, and Atwood made her pay for it as she knocked in both baserunners and the Longhorns took the lead. Texas Tech couldn't strike back in the top of the final inning, and Texas took Game 1. 3 Reese Atwood's wild single in the bottom of the sixth inning wound up giving Texas the win in Game 1. Brett Rojo-Imagn Images The mistake was a rare one for Canady, as she's widely considered the best pitcher in college softball. The Kansas native played her first two collegiate seasons at Stanford, where she compiled a 41-10 pitching record and posted just a 0.67 ERA. She racked up 555 strikeouts to just 65 walks. She won the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award last season, PAC-12 Pitcher of the Year, was a First Team All-American, and a two-time PAC-12 First-Teamer. Canady then elected to give up the possible Stanford degree and received a whopping $1 million in NIL from Texas Tech to try and take the program out of the 29-21 gutter it was in a year ago. 3 NiJaree Canady has been a dominant force for Texas Tech this season. Brett Rojo-Imagn Images This season, she led the nation with the only ERA under 1.00 and has guided the Red Raiders to a 59-13 record as they chase their first-ever national title. She's certainly accustomed to throwing strikes, which is what may have been her downfall. Atwood said postgame to ESPN's Holly Rowe that she noticed Canady's first pitch of the at-bat was in the zone — from there, she was hunting another to take a crack at. 'I knew I was gonna have to take a risk to do something for my team,' Atwood said. Atwood was hitless throughout the WCWS prior to the game-winner, making the intentional walk decision and the miscue all the more brutal for Canady and Texas Tech. The teams return to action Thursday when the Longhorns will have a chance to take the best-of-three series for the championship.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Women's College World Series Final preview: How Texas, Texas Tech can win their first softball championship this week
The Women's College World Series Final is set. Texas Tech will face Texas in a best-of-three series to decide the NCAA champion in women's softball. Both teams had to get through Oklahoma, the four-time defending champions, and it wasn't easy. No matter who wins, they will be a first-time champion and the toast of the Lone Star State. Here's what you need to know before you tune in beginning Wednesday night: How Texas reached the WCWS championship The Longhorns' rivalry with Oklahoma is much bigger than softball, but the strength and proximity of the two softball programs heightened the Red River Rivalry whenever it went to the softball diamond. Texas has been to the final series before. In 2022 and 2024, Texas lost to Oklahoma. Advertisement This background made Texas' 4-2 win over Oklahoma in the double elimination round of the WCWS particularly cathartic. Taking out the Sooners on the way to the final was an important step for the Longhorns. But that doesn't mean the win over Tennessee in the semifinal was easy. Texas had to overcome the Lady Vols' ace pitcher Karlyn Pickens. In the end, the 2-0 win was enough to move Texas to the WCWS final. What does Texas need to do to win it all? Lean on experience in tougher moments: Though the Longhorns haven't won the NCAA championship before, they have been in two title series and know about the pressure a team faces on the biggest stage. That experience will help them during the tougher moments of the next few games. Advertisement Use pitching smartly: It's not unusual for top softball teams to rely on one ace pitcher. The pitching motion in softball is easier to recover from than in baseball, so teams can and will use the same pitcher day after day. Texas has the luxury of having multiple strong pitcher on its roster. Teagan Kavan threw an eight-strikeout gem against Oklahoma, then served as relief in the win over Tennessee. Mac Morgan started the semifinal game and has shown she can be relied on in big moments. How Texas Tech reached the WCWS championship Like Texas, the Red Raiders had to get through Oklahoma to get to the championship series. Playing in primetime, Texas Tech and OU brought the drama in the Monday night game. Abigale Dayton faced an 0-2 count with two outs when she hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to tie the game. Oklahoma has shown its ability to come back before, and it looked like momentum had shifted in the Sooners' direction, keeping their hopes for a fifth consecutive title alive. But Texas Tech didn't cower. The Red Raiders used small ball to get runners on the bases, and Lauren Allred hit a perfect sacrifice fly for Texas Tech to get the walk-off win and the berth in the championship series. Advertisement Now, Texas Tech, which plays in the Big 12, has the opportunity to beat an SEC team for the title. Five of the eight teams that made it to Oklahoma City for the WCWS represent the SEC, which dominated this past season, so it is a chance to show the Big 12 still has softball firepower after the defections of Texas and Oklahoma. What does Texas Tech need to do to win it all? Let Nijaree Canady be Nijaree Canady: Thanks to an NIL package worth more than $1 million, Texas Tech attracted Nijaree Canady from Stanford to pitch and hit for the Red Raiders. It's worked, as she has an ERA of 0.86 — the best in the NCAA — and has pitched the team to victory in each game so far. Now, just let her shine on the mound, and make sure the defense has her back. Advertisement Use smart defense to stop Texas' hits: The Longhorns have the second-best batting average in the NCAA. They have faced outstanding pitchers in the SEC, and they still hit .357 as a team. That means Texas Tech needs to stay locked in, communicate well and limit errors. Women's College World Series 2025 schedule and how to watch All games will air on ESPN Game 1: Wednesday, June 4: Texas Tech vs. Texas, 8 pm ET Game 2: Thursday, June 5: Texas vs. Texas Tech, 8 pm ET Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, June 6: Texas Tech vs. Texas, 8 pm ET
