On Monday in Oklahoma City, NiJaree Canady tossed a two-hit shutout, guiding 11th-seed Texas Tech to the Women’s College World Series championship series with a 2-0 victory over top-seeded Alabama.
Starting Wednesday, the Red Raiders (61-8) will play the second-seeded Texas (51-12) in the three-game championship series.
Texas won three games in last year’s championship series, which will be replayed.
To go through the loser’s bracket into the finals, both Texas and Texas Tech were required to win two games on Monday. The Red Raiders defeated the Crimson Tide (56-9) 5-4 in Monday’s opening game.
Canady retired the first two hitters she faced in the seventh inning on just two pitches before Audrey Vandagriff doubled down the left field line. To finish the game, Canady then persuaded Ambrey Taylor to come out.
Canady had six strikeouts and one walk, improving to 29-6 on the season.
In the first three innings, Jocelyn Briski (25-4) put runners on base, but Texas Tech was unable to score until the fourth, when Briski hit a home run on her first pitch of the frame.
Jena Young of Alabama blasted a game-tying home run off Katelyn Terry in the seventh inning of the night’s opening encounter.
Young faced Canady with one out in the sixth of the nightcap and ran the count full. Canady caught Young swinging at a changeup on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
Brooke Wells, the next batter, hit a Canady changeup with a lot of distance down the right field line, but it hooked just foul, keeping the Red Raiders in front. Canady got out of the inning.
On Lauren Allred’s single to center, Texas Tech added a run of insurance in the seventh.
On the hit, Mihyia Davis sprinted from first to third before scoring when Kristen White’s pitch to third went into the dugout.
Although the Red Raiders were able to load the bases, they were unable to score another run and left 11 players on base throughout the game.
