Women's College World Series: Texas Tech walks off vs. Oklahoma, Texas blanks Tennessee to advance to finals
For the first time in five years, women's college softball will have a new national champion.
Oklahoma was eliminated from the Women's College World Series with a 3-2 loss to Texas Tech on Monday. The Sooners had to defeat the Red Raiders twice to avoid double elimination, but Lauren Allred's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh made sure that wasn't an option with a walk-off win.
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However, Oklahoma did not go down quietly with their season at stake in the seventh inning. Hannah Coor allowed the tying run to come to the plate with a one-out single. Isabela Emerling hit into a fielder's choice but kept the inning alive for Abby Dayton to blast a game-tying, two-run homer to right-center field with two strikes.
The Red Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with Alana Johnson drawing a one-out walk against Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry. Demi Elder then drove Johnson in with a triple. Two batters later, Bailey Lindemuth brought Elder home with a single.
For 6 2/3 innings, that was plenty of offense for Texas Tech star NiJaree Canady. Prior to the seventh and Dayton's 2-run shot, the junior right-hander allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven Sooners batters.
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Oklahoma's defeat ends what has been a dynastic run in women's college softball under head coach Patty Gasso. The Sooners had won the past four national championships and seven of the past 11 Women's College World Series. (They also made the finals of the 2019 tournament.)
Texas 2, Tennessee 0
Teagan Kavan pitched three scoreless innings to close out a 2-0 win for Texas over Tennessee to lead the Longhorns to the Women's College World Series finals. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Texas Longhorns are heading to the 2025 Women's College World Series finals. A day after Tennessee's dramatic win over UCLA, the Lady Volunteers were eliminated after a 2-0 loss to Texas on Monday.
Offense was nowhere to be seen early in the contest. After three scoreless innings, frustrations finally boiled over for Tennessee. Following a questionable called strikeout by the home-plate umpire, Tennessee hitting coach Craig Snider was ejected from the contest for arguing balls and strikes.
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Snider stormed out of the dugout to confront the home-plate ump on the field before he eventually walked back to the clubhouse. While the next Tennessee hitter was able to draw a walk, Texas pitcher Mac Morgan managed a groundout to end the inning.
Morgan's ability to bounce back after Snider's outburst may have inspired the Longhorns. Texas outfielder Katie Stewart led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run on a ball that just carried over the left-field wall, giving Texas a 1-0 lead.
Texas then took out Morgan — who had a season-high four strikeouts — in favor of sophomore pitcher Teagan Kavan.
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After two scoreless — and hitless — innings by Kavan, Texas added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. A walk by Joley Mitchell and a single by Stewart put the Longhorns in scoring position. With two outs, Texas infielder Victoria Hunter hit a ground ball to third. Tennessee's Taylor Pannell scooped up the ball, but threw it too high to first. The ball sailed into the dugout, allowing Mitchell to score.
With a 2-0 lead, Kavan took the mound in the seventh looking to close it out. Kavan allowed hard contact against the first two hitters she faced, but excellent defensive plays by Mia Scott at third and Leighann Goode at short kept Tennessee from starting a rally. Kavan then struck out Emma Clarke for the final out, sending Texas to the finals.
Tremendous pitching performances by Morgan and Kavan propelled Texas to the victory. Morgan allowed just three hits over four innings of work, striking out four. Kavan did not allow a hit over the game's final three innings. Snider's ejection couldn't help Tennessee rally. The team failed to notch a single hit after the coach was sent to the clubhouse.
With the win, Texas will move on to the finals, which will begin Wednesday. They'll take on the winner of Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Both teams will face off Monday. Because it's a double-elimination tournament, Oklahoma — which already has one loss — will need to beat Texas Tech twice in order to advance. Texas Tech can reach the finals with just one win over Oklahoma on Monday.
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