OKLAHOMA CITY – For the second straight season, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 2 Texas will battle in the Women’s College World Series Finals after the Red Raiders dispatched No. 1 Alabama with a 2-0 win in the second game of the WCWS Semifinals on Monday at Devon Park.
NiJaree Canady (29-6) threw a dominant complete-game shutout and Jasmyn Burns hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning for the Red Raiders (61-8) who had forced the decisive game with a 5-4 win in the first game of the night. Top-seeded Alabama (56-9) had its season end after being limited to only two hits against Canady who had six strikeouts after also recording the win in the first game.
“I’m just so proud of my girls,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said. “They really bought in. I feel like the last 30 days that we just have come together and became a whole different team. They’re just playing for each other so well now. They’re finding ways. I thought all night we talked about two games, KT and NiJa, were just so outstanding. Then to share the ball and to it do the way they do, amazing. NiJa had 57 pitches at the end of the first game. I thought we could get four or five out of her, and we can go back to KT, who had 70. NiJa, that was the 2025 version of NiJa Canady.”
Texas Tech (61-8) and Texas (51-12) are set to play at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the first game of the WCWS Finals after the Longhorns also took the tough road by winning two games over No. 7 Tennessee earlier on Monday to advance.
“I’m just excited to be able to make it to the Championship Series again,” Canady said. “It’s just a blessing to play them again. It’s good for the state of Texas, showing how good softball is in the state and I feel like we’re going to get a good turnout.”
Tech got an insurance run in the seventh inning with Lauren Allred hitting a single through the middle of the infield that scored Mihyia Davis all the way from first after an errant throw went into the third base dugout before Canady slammed the door shut by getting a lineout to right field to strand a runner at second base. The Red Raiders finished the game with 10 hits, including two-hit performances from Mia Williams, Davis, Allred and Burns. Williams, who provided the heroics with a walk-off home run in the first win over Alabama, was 2-for-4 with a pair of singles while Davis went 2-for-3 with a double and single to extend her program record for hits to 100 this season.
Jocelyn Briski (25-4) took the loss for the Crimson Tide after allowing eight hits, including the home run by Burns. Vic Moten threw two innings of relief and allowed two hits and a run.
Tech forced the deciding game with a 5-4 win to start the night with Williams hitting a walk-off home run after the Crimson Tide had tied the game with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh. It was the 26th home run of the season for Williams who had gone hitless in her first three at-bats before providing the heroics. Canady earned the win after striking out four, scattering three hits and allowing only one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief of Terry who started the game. Tech had three home runs in the game, including Pannell hitting a two-run homer for a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning after a solo home run by Allred in the second inning for the game’s second run. Toney had started scoring with a double in the second inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Tech and Alabama were scoreless through two innings with Canady dominating in the pitcher’s circle with three strikeouts and no hits allowed. The Red Raiders had three hits with singles from Williams, Allred and Terry but all three were left on base.
The Red Raiders threatened in the top of the third inning after a leadoff single by Williams and then Davis getting hit by a pitch to put two on before Briski got a popup, strikeout and flyout to strand two more. Tech had four hits and five left on base through three innings. Hawkins singled for Alabama’s first hit against Canady but she would work out of it, getting a flyout to center to strand a runner at second base and take the game to the fourth still scoreless.
Burn led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, drilling the first pitch she saw over the centerfield fence for the game’s first run. It was the 19th home run of the season for Burns and the fourth of the night for the Red Raiders who had three in the first game. Canady walked one in the bottom of the fourth but unscathed after getting a groundout to Pannell at second base to strand a runner and take the game to the fifth with the Red Raiders still leading 1-0.
Pannell and Burns opened the top of the sixth inning with singles but Tech would strand two runners on base in the inning without scoring before turning the ball back over to Canady. In the bottom of the sixth, Canady got a groundout and strikeout to start the inning before hitting a batter but staying poised and getting a foul out to Pannell near the third base dugout to take the game to the final inning with the 1-0 lead still intact.
Tech padded its lead in the top of the seventh inning with Allred hitting a single through the middle of the infield that scored Davis all the way from first after an errant throw went into the dugout to allow her to come home for a 2-0 lead. Davis had reached on a one-out single and Allred advanced to third on the play before being followed by Jackie Lis and Taylor Pannell drawing walks to load the bases with only one out. Alabama had one hit in the bottom of the seventh but a flyout to right field ended the game with Canady finishing off the complete-game shutout.
UP NEXT:
A double-elimination format, the WCWS Finals are slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with the 2026 National Champion to be crowned after two wins. The Longhorns won the 2025 National Championship after beating the Red Raiders in three games. The all-time series dates back to the first meeting in 1997 and has the Longhorns with a 65-13 record over the Red Raiders. Tech’s 4-3 win in the second game of the 2025 WCWS Finals snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Longhorns who won the national title with a 10-4 victory in the final game of the tournament. The two teams have not played against each other this season.
