LUBBOCK, Texas — Lauren Allred’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning sealed a 3-2 victory for Texas Tech on Thursday, sending the Red Raiders to their first-ever national championship under head coach Gerry Glasco.
The highly anticipated matchup against Oklahoma, a four-time consecutive Women’s College World Series champion, saw Red Raiders starter NiJaree Canady take on the challenge. Canady pitched all seven innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out eight batters.
Game Highlights
- Early Dominance: Canady dominated early on, not allowing a hit until the mid-second inning.
- Scoring: The Red Raiders capitalized on this momentum and took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
- Oklahoma’s Comeback: Oklahoma tied the game in the seventh inning when Abigale Dayton hit a home run to right field.
- Final Inning Resilience: Down by one with two outs and a runner on base in the final inning, Texas Tech showed resilience. Lauren Allred’s sacrifice fly allowed Mihyia Davis to score from third base, securing Texas Tech’s spot in the history books.
Player Reactions
- Mihyia Davis: "We’re going back," said Davis after her game-winning run scored off Allred’s sacrifice fly.
- On Team Spirit: Davis expressed pride in her team’s ability to come together after falling behind late in the game against the No. 1 ranked Oklahoma program. "We were down by one run with two outs and we still had our last chance left," she noted.
Coaching Milestone
The win marked another milestone for Glasco during his inaugural season as head coach at Texas Tech. He is now one win away from becoming only the fourth coach ever to guide a team into the NCAA softball title game within their first year as head coach since the NCAA began tracking such data in the 1982 season.
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Glasco’s Praise: "They played hard today. They played tough. We made some big plays when we needed them most. And you know what? That’s what winners do," Glasco said.
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On Player Celebration: When asked about how he felt seeing his players celebrate after winning the game, he said: "It’s great. It’s awesome. It’s something special. You know these kids have worked so hard all year long. And you see them get rewarded like that. It means everything."
Next Steps
Texas Tech will face either Alabama or Florida State next week, depending on the outcome of the Friday night semifinal between those teams.
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