NIL
Replay Friday as Texas wins title
OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas softball showed little mercy while rolling past Texas Tech in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series finals and claiming the school’s first national championship. The Longhorns (56-12) blasted Texas Tech in a10-4 win while finally making Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady look human. They scored five runs in the […]
OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas softball showed little mercy while rolling past Texas Tech in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series finals and claiming the school’s first national championship.
The Longhorns (56-12) blasted Texas Tech in a10-4 win while finally making Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady look human. They scored five runs in the first inning and eventually chased the Red Raider ace from the game after the first inning. Texas ended the game with 12 hits, including a 3-run homer from Leighann Goode and a grand slam by Mia Scott.
Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan picked up her fourth complete-game win of this WCWS and her sixth all-time WCWS win, which breaks the previous school record of five held by Cat Osterman.
Texas Tech (54-14) fell short of its first national championship in its first WCWS appearance.
Read below for a replay and highlights from the Longhorns’ championship-clinching win over Texas Tech in game three.
Texas vs Texas Tech softball score updates
Game 3 College Softball World Series
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | T | |
| TECH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| TEXAS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | x | 10 |
Final: Texas 10, Texas Tech 4
Texas Tech gets a leadoff hit from pinch hitter Makalya Garcia, and Texas commits a third error. But a brilliant play by Katie Stewart – she fearlessly runs into the wall to make a catch in foul territory – and another nice throw from Stewart to Scott at third for a tagout help the Longhorns avoid much drama on their way to a first national championship.
End 6: Texas 10, Texas Tech 3
Texas strands two, including Kayden Henry at third. Samantha Lincoln did her job for Texas Tech in the circle. Teagan Kavan will come back out to try and wrap up her fourth complete-game win of the WCWS, a presumed MOP award and the first national championship for Texas.
Middle 6: Texas 10, Texas Tech 3
Texas commits its second error of the game – this one a throwing error by 2B Leighann Goode – but it doesn’t bother Teagan Kavan, who doesn’t allow a hit. The Longhorns are three outs or one run away from their first national championship.
End 5: Texas 10, Texas Tech 3
Samantha Lincoln comes into the game for Texas Tech and gets through the Texas lineup without any damage with some help from 2B Alexa Langeliers. See, the Red Raiders do have other pitchers.
Middle 5: Texas 10, Texas Tech 3
Texas Tech finally gets to Texas starter Teagan Kavan with three runs and four hits. But Kavan stretches her streak of consecutive innings without an earned run to 29 ⅔ innings since an error by 3B Mia Scott with two outs came before all the Red Raider runs.
End 4: Texas 10, Texas Tech 0
Mia Scott delivers the dagger for Texas with a grand slam. A fitting end to stellar WCWS as well as an all-time career. Oh, by the way, there is an 8-run, 5-inning mercy rule this year. Hasn’t been for a decade, but there won’t be much argument from anyone.
Middle 4: Texas 6, Texas Tech 0
Texas Tech gets its first hit against Teagan Kavan with a single from Hailey Toney, but nothing else. Because we don’t believe in jinxes at the Official Texas Softball Live Blog, a couple of housekeeping notes: There is no 8-run, 5-inning mercy rule in the WCWS finals, and any weather delays after the fifth inning will likely be endured instead of having officials call the game. And there is rain in the forecast later.
End 3: Texas 6, Texas Tech 0
The Texas batters love not seeing NiJaree Canady in the circle. Reese Atwood leads off with a double into the gap against Tech pitcher Chloe Riassetto, and Katie Stewart follows with an RBI double. Katie Cimusz almost got the second homer of the day but it’s just short.
Middle 3: Texas 5, Texas Tech 0
Texas starter Teagan Kavan throws another clean inning and has yet to allow a hit. She’s now up to 27 ⅔ straight innings without allowing an earned run at this WCWS.
End 2: Texas 5, Texas Tech 0
Chloe Riassetto, the first Texas Tech to see action since the Lubbock Regional, handles her business against Texas by allowing just one hit. Now, will Tech coach Gerry Glasco bring NiJaree Canady back into the game, or has Tech’s Terminator of a pitcher finally reached her wall?
Middle 2: Texas 5, Texas Tech 0
Three up, three down for Texas starter Teagan Kavan and the Longhorns. A dream start for Texas, which is seeking its first national championship. And Chloe Riassetto will come in at pitcher for Tech. This is a move no one expected to see. Remember: NiJaree Canady can return to the circle for Tech.
End 1: Texas 5, Texas Tech 0
Texas strikes first, and in a big way. With two outs, Leaighann Goode sends the first pitch she sees from NiJaree Canady over the centerfield wall for a 3-run homer. Five runs, five hits and one error in the frame for Tech. Kayden Henry uses that track speed to get an infield single with one out, and Mia Scott follows with a single into right field. Reese Atwood then slices a single into left field to score Henry, and Scott and Atwood both advance on an error when the throw from left field hits 3B Bailey Lindemuth in the back. Katie Stewart then follows with another RBI single to set up Goode’s heroics.
Middle 1: Texas 0, Texas Tech 0
Unlike the first two games, Texas Tech doesn’t load the bags in its first at-bat. In fact, Tech doesn’t get a hit against Texas starter Teagan Kavan. But there was epic at-bat by Lauren Allred that lasted 12 pitches before Kavan hit Allred on the elbow.
Texas vs Texas Tech: NiJaree Canady signs another $1 million NIL deal
ESPN reported on Friday that Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady will return to the Red Raiders for the 2026 season after another NIL deal worth in excess of $1 million. ESPN cited her manager, Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management Group, as the source of the information. Shelburne’s report calls it “another seven-figure NIL contract with the Matador Club,” which is a Texas Tech NIL collective. Co-founder John Sellers and his wife, Traci Sellers, were at the forefront of Canady’s first deal in more than $1 million last summer.
Texas batting order
- RF Ashton Maloney
2. CF Kayden Henry
3. 3B Mia Scott
4. C Reese Atwood
5. LF Katie Stewart
6. 1B Joley Mitchell
7. SS Leighann Goode
8. DP Katie Cimusz
9. 2B Kaydee Benne
Texas Tech batting order
- CF Mihyia Davis
- SS Hailey Toney
- 1B Lauren Allred
- RF Alana Johnson
- 2B Alexa Langeliers
- P NiJaree Canady
- LF Demi Elder
- C Victoria Valdez
- 3B Bailey Lindemuth
Texas starting pitcher
Texas coach Mike White will turn to ace Teagan Kavan, who only threw ⅔ of an inning last night. She has yet to allow an earned run in 24 ⅔ innings this WCWS and boasts a 4-0 record in starting head-to-head matchups with Texas Tech starter NiJaree Canady.
Texas Tech starting pitcher
NiJaree Canady has thrown every one of the Red Raiders’ 496 pitches in the WCWS and that won’t change with the season on the line. Canady has given up 10 hits and five runs through the first two games of the series with 13 strikeouts and two walks.
What time does Texas softball play Texas Tech today?
- Time: 7 p.m. CT
- Date: June 6
- Location: Devon Park in Oklahoma City
How to watch Texas softball vs Texas Tech today
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: https://texas.leanplayer.com/
Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.