The WCWS championship-deciding game is underway...
Top 1 -- TTU can't do anything with a two-out HBP...
Bottom 1 -- K for first Texas out... Kayden Henry beats out a grounder to short... Mia Scott grounds a single to right, runner advances to second... Reese Atwood with a sharp line single to left, driving in first run. Throw from left-fielder hits Tech infielder in the back, advancing Longhorn runners to second and third... Katie Stewart with a hard liner to right, now 2-0 UT, runners on the corners with one out... First time in the series Horns have scored in the early innings... Tech catcher throws to third on apparent pick-off attempt (unsuccessful), allowing Stewart to steal second... K for second out... Leighann Goode up for huge at-bat: an out will keep it a 2-0, a single could make it 4-0... Goode blasts homer to left-center (video), making it 5-0 Texas... Infield pop to end the inning...
Top 2 -- Horns' Teagan Kavan, who in the first inning extended her stretch of no earned runs allowed in the WCWS to 25 and 2/3 innings, gets ready to pitch in the second... Leadoff grounder to third, tough backhanded snare by Scott, who narrowly throws out batter (video)... K (Kavan's first of the game) for second out... Easy fly to center ends Raiders' at-bats...
Bottom 2 -- Chloe Riassetto starts the inning in the circle for Red Raiders, replacing Canady... Pitchers can re-enter in softball... Two-out infield single for UT... Fly to center, not quite to warning track, for third out...
Top 3 -- Raiders down in order...
Bottom 3 -- Riasetto still pitching for Tech... Atwood doubles on flare to center... Center-fielder dives (unsuccessfully) for ball, it gets by here, but left-fielder backing up... Stewart doubles to gap in right-center, now 6-0 UT... Grounder for first out, runner to third... Infield pop for second out... Fly-out to warning track in center for final out...
Top 4 -- Hailey Toney leads off with hard line single to right... Soft liner to third for first out... Fly to warning track in LF for second out... Fly to right for third out...
Bottom 4 -- Grounder to short, airmailed throw to first gives Horns leadoff runner (Tech challenged, saying runner made start toward second and was out when 1B-person tagged runner past first base, but challenge denied)... Ashton Maloney doubles to gap in right-center, runners on second and third with none out... Grounder to circle bobbled, bases loaded with none out... Scott with grand-slam blast to center (video), now 10-0 Texas... Per ESPN, this is Scott's fifth career WCWS homer... Pitching change, with Samantha Lincoln in for Red Raiders... Grounder to short for first out... K for second out (after count had been 3-0)... Grounder to second for third out...
Top 5 -- According to NCAA rule book, "If one team is up by eight or more runs after five or more equal innings, the plate umpire may declare the run-ahead rule." In other words, unless Tech scores at least three runs this inning, we're done... Leadoff bloop single to left... Fly to left for first out... Fielder's choice to get force at second on grounder, two out... Looked like it might be over: Grounder to short, but throw to first is wide, Tech with runners on first and second... 1-2 count on Mihyia Davis, Horns one strike away... Foul ball... Another foul... Soft grounder, throw to first gets away (Davis probably would have been safe anyway). First run for Tech, trailing 10-1, runners on second and third... Toney up, singles sharply to center, now 10-3, taking run-rule off the table (for this half-inning, at least)... Easy fly to center to end threat... Also, Kavan WCWS streak of not allowing an earned run is over... Per ESPN, called changed on one play, from a hit to an error, so Kavan's streak is intact again...
Bottom 5 -- Longhorns can end it with one run... Will Tech coach Gerry Glasco put Canady back in? No. Lincoln returns in the circle... Leadoff walk... Full count on next batter... Nice snare of liner by 2B-person Alexa Langeliers, runner doubled off first... K for third out, score stays 10-3...
Top 6 -- Tech leadoff runner on first, as Texas SS with another poor throw to first (a close play, but a good throw probably would have gotten the out)... K, just Kavan's second of the evening, for first out... Grounder back to circle, force at second for second out... Kavan with another K for third out...
Bottom 6 -- Longhorns again can end it with one run... With one out, Henry with an "infield double," as ESPN announcers suggest: Hard grounder goes of shortstop's glove, then rolls slowly into outfield, giving Henry chance to take second... Scott walks on four pitches (not giving her anything to hit!) puts runners on first and second... Atwood up... K swinging for second out... Katie Stewart up... Henry to third on pitch in dirt... Scott to second on defensive indifference... Another K, keeping it 10-3...
Top 7 -- No more prospect of run rule, but Tech needs at least seven runs off of pitcher who has not given up an earned run in the WCWS (30 and 2/3 innings)... Leadoff hit for Raiders on hard oppo liner to left... Foul-out to left-fielder Stewart, who runs into wall (video)... More UT defensive follies on soft infield grounder; 1B-person fields ball, tosses to uncovered bag... Tech with runners on second and third... Bloop single to left scores runner from third (10-4 Texas). Stewart apparently throws runner from second out at third (runner had to wait to see if ball would be caught). 3B-person had one leg on either side of third-base bag, so front of base seemed open, but obstruction initially called... Call reversed (no obstruction, runner out at third), so two out... Tech down to final out with runner on second... Grounder to short and throw to first from Goode is good (video)... Longhorns win it 10-4...
Longhorns finally win national championship on eighth trip to WCWS and third time in championship round. Kavan ends WCWS with 31 and 2/3 straight innings allowing no earned runs...