Skip to main content

2025 WCWS Championship Round -- Game 1

Scoreless as Texas comes up in B3... Pretty uneventful except for the top of the first, when Texas Tech loaded the bases with no outs, but Raider pitcher NiJaree Canady hit into 5-2-3 double-play (video) and the next batter grounded out to end the threat... 

Longhorns get their first hit with two out in B3... Wild pitch sends UT runner to second... Easy grounder back to Canady to end the inning... 

T4, Raiders down quietly... Likewise for Longhorns in B4... 

T5, with one out, TTU gets runner on via infield fielding error... Runner seemingly cut down easily on steal attempt of second, but call overturned on obstruction. One out, runner on second... Easy flare to left side of infield for second Tech out... Mihyia Davis with bloop single to right-center to drive in runner, 1-0 Red Raiders... Ground-out to first to end half-inning... 

B5, UT again goes quietly, although a fly to left with home-run distance was narrowly foul... 

T6, Tech down quietly, still leading 1-0... 

B6, leadoff K, per ESPN Canady's sixth on the night... Another K for second out... Kayden Henry goes oppo with line single to left, then quickly steals second... Tech challenging if runner left first base early... Challenge denied... Mia Scott with slow infield chip-shot, not playable by Tech, runners at the corners with two out... Scott steals second on defensive indifference... Looks like TTU is intentionally walking Reese Atwood, but Atwood swings at 3-0 pitch (over the plate and soft for Canady at 68 mph) and singles to left, driving in two runs (video). ... Ground-out to end inning, Longhorns leading 2-1... 

T7, pressure abruptly shifts to Tech's shoulders, down to final three outs... Error (bobble) on sharp grounder to short gives Red Raiders leadoff runner (might have been a tough throw, though)... Easy fly to left for first out... Full count on next hitter... K looking for second out, Tech runner steals second... Something I've never seen in 20+ years of watching softball, runner sent back to first on "umpire interference" (ump's mask contacted catcher's arm)... Texas apparently challenging whether batter, after striking out, interfered with catcher by walking in front of her with a runner trying to steal... After review, no batter interference called... Tech down to last out, with runner on first... 0-1 count, now 0-2... Easy pop to first, Texas wins opener 2-1... 

What a lot of freak plays, including Tech runner being awarded second base on obstruction and later scoring (T5), Atwood's two-run single while apparently being walked intentionally (B6), and then all the inquiries into umpire and batter interference (T7)!

Popular posts from this blog

Few minutes after 6:00 pm Central: We now have our eighth team for the Women's College World Series, Oregon State (in the postings below, all WCWS qualifiers are depicted in bold). The Beavers defeated Cal 3-0 and then 1-0 today, to take the teams' super-regional series 2-1. 4:40 pm Central: We have the identities of two more teams going to the WCWS (bringing the total to seven), but Oregon State has stayed alive against Cal, forcing a third and deciding game to determine the one remaining team for the World Series. Leave it to the Beavers! Here are the two teams (in bold) that have earned bids to Oklahoma City thus far today: Tennessee , which edged Michigan 1-0 in what must have been a very dramatic finish to those who saw it live. The reason I say must have been is that ESPN cut away to show a live Barry Bonds at-bat in his quest for 715 home runs, a number that would surpass Babe Ruth for second on the all-time list. Sure enough, Bonds blasted one deep into the c...

2026 WCWS Championship Game 2

Top 1 (T1) Texas is the visitor tonight... Kayden Henry leading off... Line single to right, bringing up Katie Stewart, who has homered in her last four games and has 31 on the season... As ESPN announcers note, home-plate ump showing early signs of giving Canady the high strike... Stewart pop-up near home for first out... Viviana Martinez fouls out near third base, two down... Reese Atwood up... Henry steals second; throw goes into center, but Henry can't advance further... Atwood grounds back to Canady to end the half-inning... Bottom 1 (B1) Mia Williams grounds to third for first out... Mihyia Davis, who homered in the first last night, HBP... Lauren Allred up... K looking for two outs... Jackie Lis up... Davis steals second... Lis with hard, sinking liner to center, but Henry crouches down to snare it in the air... T2 Leighann Goode up for Texas... Grounds back to Canady for first out... Hannah Wells K swinging for second out... Kaiah Altmeyer ground to short for final out... B...

2026 WCWS Championship Game 1

 Game 1 of the championship series is about to get underway. Texas will be the home team... Top 1 (T1) Teagan Kavan strikes out Mia Williams to get things started... Mihyia Davis homers to left for a quick 1-0 Raider lead (can't find video)... Nothing further for Tech...  Bottom 1 (B1) Kayden Henry leads off with bunt single off of Raider starter Kaitlyn Terry... Katie Stewart homers to center ( video ) to put Longhorns up 2-1... Last year's TTU-Texas championship opener was a pitchers' duel... This year, not so much...Viviana Martinez singles up the middle... Will we see NiJaree Canady soon, as Tech coach Gerry Glasco has been frequently shuffling his pitchers?... Sticking with Terry... Fielder's choice and fly-out for first two outs... Hannah Wells singles, putting runners at the corners with two out... Now Canady's coming in... Kaiah Altmeyer with infield single, 3-1 Longhorns with runners on first and second... Ashton Maloney triples and suddenly it's 5-1 Te...