Texas avoided an if-necessary third game of the Women’s College World Series finals against Texas Tech, following up Wednesday’s 7-3 win over the Red Raiders with Thursday’s 4-1 victory to clinch the Longhorns’ second consecutive national championship.
Texas (53-12) joined Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA as the fifth NCAA softball program to win back-to-back softball national titles with a two-game sweep of Texas Tech (61-10). Teagan Kavan, who was named WCWS Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row, secured the final six outs of the game after Citlaly Gutierrez (4.1 innings) and Hannah Wells (0.2 innings) did their jobs in the circle to help the Longhorns overcome a one-run deficit.
Facing All-American pitcher NiJaree Canady and trailing, 1-0, Texas opened the fifth inning with back-to-back singles by Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney. After Jaycie Nichols reached on a fielder’s choice and the Red Raiders intentionally walked Katie Stewart with the bases loaded, a Viviana Martinez ground ball to the left side of the infield turned into a two-run error, putting the Longhorns on top, 2-1.
On the heels of Kavan retiring Texas Tech in order in the bottom of the sixth, Kayden Henry led off the top of the seventh with an opposite-field home run, taking Canady deep to left. With one out and runners on first and second, right fielder Lauren Allred couldn’t come up with a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Leighann Goode, resulting in an RBI single to put Texas up by three runs, 4-1.
Kavan retired each of the six Red Raiders she faced, recording back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
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