In Oklahoma City, Texas Tech made history by advancing to the Women’s College World Series semifinals for the first time ever after a 3-1 victory over UCLA on Saturday. NiJaree Canady was instrumental in this win, surrendering only four hits while striking out seven batters. The Red Raiders, with a record of 52-12, are just one victory against either Oregon or Oklahoma away from entering the best-of-three championship series.
UCLA, although defeated, remains in the tournament due to its double-elimination format and is scheduled to face Tennessee in a must-win elimination game on Sunday. The weekend clash was an intriguing matchup between teams with contrasting histories. UCLA boasts an impressive record with 12 World Series titles, while Texas Tech celebrated its first-ever Series game win just days prior.
Canady expressed her thrill at advancing: “It feels amazing, just this being our first time here as a team and just being able to get to the semifinals. I feel like it’s a huge accomplishment by itself, but obviously, we’re not finished. We’re going for the whole thing like every other team here.”
With her previous World Series experience, Canady is no stranger to pressure-filled situations, having led Stanford to the semifinals in the last two years before transferring to Texas Tech. Tech’s head coach, Gerry Glasco, praised her performance: “I guess you’ve got to start everything with NiJa in the circle. She’s just so fantastic, and I thought she pitched a gem of a game.”
UCLA posed several challenges, including loading the bases in the second inning, but Canady, recognized as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Pitcher of the Year, remained unscathed. Texas Tech’s scoring was initiated by Makayla Garcia, who audaciously stole home in the fifth. “Coach Glasco told me, ‘Hey, we’re gonna go and we’re going to take a chance,’” Garcia said. Her trust in the coach paid off as her steal succeeded.
UCLA responded with a solo home run by Kaniya Bragg in that inning, but Tech rejoindered with a solo shot from Hailey Toney in the sixth, and Raegan Jennings cemented the lead with an RBI single in the seventh. Despite a tense moment when UCLA placed two runners on with no outs in the seventh, Canady once again shut the door, preserving their lead.
“We just found a way to win,” said Glasco. “And that’s kind of what we’ve become. We pride ourselves on being a mentally tough team, a resilient team that can go out under pressure and play defense when we have to play defense in tight moments.”
UCLA’s Taylor Tinsley pitched all seven innings, conceding three runs on four hits. Following the loss, Tinsley maintained a positive outlook, citing her team’s resilience and determination: “I feel like the big thing with this team is we have a really short-term memory. Each play is kind of like in the past. This game is already as old as dirt for us, so we’re just ready to get back out there.”