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Texas and Texas Tech both have gone undefeated in the Women's College World Series to reach tonight's championship matchup:
Read about how Texas Tech upset Oklahoma here and how Texas reached the title series again here.
The schedule:
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For Texas Tech coach, reminders of late daughter are everywhere at WCWS: ‘She’s been with us’
Texas Tech has scored first in 24 straight games. That's amazing to even think about. How does a team even do that?
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Man, I can't stop thinking about how large that call may loom in a game that has been so close and so dominated by these pitchers in the circle. If I were a Texas fan right now, I would not be a happy camper.
T6 – Texas Tech 1, Texas 0
WOAH. That foul ball by Victoria Hunter looked pretty fair at first glance. She was JUST slightly early on a changeup that she pulled down the left-field line. But man, that's one where you hold your breath, that ball just barely missed the foul pole. She just missed tying it up but then pops out for the third out.
As a pinch-runner myself, I've been called out on plays where the player was blocking the bag WAY more than Goode was there. And my coach didn't even challenge. This sport can be weird sometimes.
The biggest problem with the call is that the evidence didn't really seem that clear and convincing to have overturned the call. The timing and placement of the throw, which was slightly up the baseline considering how dead out Logan Halleman was if the call did stand, may have played a factor as the umpires may have thought Leighann Goode was standing too close to where Halleman began her slide. That's really the only thing I can think of that would overturn it because that is probably the least egregious obstruction I've seen in a LONG time.
That controversial obstruction call has made all the difference in this game so far, as Mihyia Davis comes through yet again for the Red Raiders with a bloop RBI single to right center. You could see by the reactions from Texas players that they were NOT happy with that call, and that's totally fair. That takes something that was in their control completely out of their hands and then puts them at a deficit. But they have to move on and wreak some of their own havoc if they want to win this one, because once Canady gets a lead, she's hard to beat.
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They need took at that rule. That was not obstruction.
If it was obstruction, then the rule needs to be changed. That could be a game-changing play.
Citlaly Gutierrez is warming up in the Texas bullpen, and if the Red Raiders score a run or two here, I wouldn't be surprised if Mike White makes the switch. As the lineup rotates back to the top for the third time through, it makes sense to save Teagan Kavan's arm if the coaches want to keep giving Texas Tech different looks throughout the series. While winning Game 1 tends to lean in the eventual favor of the champion, wild things have happened in OKC – such as when Oklahoma came back to win after falling to Florida State in Game 1 in 2021 before coming back to win it all.
Wow, talk about a crucial call — even if it took a couple more batters for us to really feel the impact of it.
T5 – Texas Tech 1, Texas 0
Texas Tech takes advantage of the overturn on a Mihyia Davis single to score Logan Halleman. What a huge call and momentum change for Texas Tech.
Reese Atwood is NOT happy about that call and is getting a little feisty behind the plate after two pretty close pitches are called balls. With a runner now in scoring position for the Red Raiders, this one could loom large if Logan Halleman ends up scoring.
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Oh, wow. I really did not expect that one to get overturned. Her foot was barely in the base path, so that's a major call by the umpire crew.
I think Leighann Goode gave Logan Halleman plenty of room as a lane to second base on that, but there is part of the rule that allows the defender to follow the throw into the base path if it does take them there. That throw by Reese Atwood did no such thing. I think this one should stand, but obstruction has played a major role here in OKC so far.
Gerry Glasco is no stranger to mixing things up to get the offense going. He turns to pinch-hitter Logan Halleman in the fifth in place of catcher Victoria Valdez, who reaches on an error by second baseman Kaydee Bennett. Halleman is just the Red Raiders' second baserunner since the first inning.
Another pinch-hitter comes to the plate in Raegan Jennings, who drove in a run in the same position earlier in the WCWS. But the threat is eliminated by a strong throw from catcher Reese Atwood, who gets Halleman on a stolen base attempt by about two steps.
This late in the game, however, Texas Tech opts to use its first challenge to see if Leighann Goode was obstructing second base.
Nija Canady is continuing to keep these Longhorns batters off balance by maintaining a great pitch mix throughout each at-bat. After getting Reese Atwood to ground out to third on a squibbed ball off the end of the bat – which required a great play by third baseman Bailey Lindemuth to get the out – Canady fooled Joley Mitchell, one of the hottest Longhorns hitters in OKC, on a change that she just barely fouled off after pulling off on the swing. Then came our first NiJa stomp of the night, as Mitchell swung and missed at a 73-mph rise that broke up and out of the zone.
T5 – Texas Tech 0, Texas 0
Nija Canady with her fourth strikeout to end the fourth inning, and it looks like she's in complete control in the circle for Texas Tech. She has allowed just one hit.
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That deep fly ball to left off the bat of Mia Scott was definitely the deepest we've seen off of Nija Canady tonight. If Scott had gotten just slightly more on top of that one, that had a chance to leave the yard and get the first run of the night on the board.
That shift on Mihyia Davis pays off again for the Longhorns, as Davis hits a hard grounder right to the shifted second baseman Kaydee Bennett. Taking that dynamic of a runner off the bases is huge for the Longhorns.
Another thing that's huge for Texas? The connection between junior catcher Reese Atwood and sophomore Teagan Kavan. Kavan's grandmother had passed away the day she pitched against Oklahoma to advance to the WCWS semis, but she pitched anyway. You could tell how emotional she and her team were after that win, not just because they finally took down the monkey that had been on their shoulder for several trips to OKC. Several players, including Atwood, spoke about how much Kavan's grandmother meant to the entire team, Atwood included. To have a close teammate and friend who knows you so well catching for you behind the plate helps in any battery, but especially on the toughest of days.
B4 – Texas Tech 0, Texas 0
Teagan Kavan works a 1-2-3 fourth and has allowed only two hits. She has three strikeouts.
