Tech tops UCLA, advances to WCWS semifinals

Sunday, May 31

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

6 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

59-8

UCLA

53-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas Tech	1	2	0	1	0	2	0	0	2	8	14	0
UCLA	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	1	7	10	1

Tech tops UCLA, advances to WCWS semifinals

May 31, 2026 | Softball

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By: Wes Bloomquist

OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 11 Texas Tech advanced to the Women's College World Series semifinals for the second straight season after earning an 8-7 extra-inning win over No. 8 UCLA on Sunday at Devon Park. The Red Raiders (59-9) will now need two wins on Monday against No. 1 Alabama (56-7) with the first game set for 6 p.m. and the if-necessary game to follow with the advancing team reaching the WCWS Finals which begins on Wednesday.

"The environment here in Oklahoma City, unbelievable," Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said. "The talent UCLA has, they're hard to beat, as you could see. I was so impressed the way they just kept coming at us, coming at us. You don't expect anything less from a program like that with the tradition they have, the great coaches they have, then the unbelievable talent in those uniforms. Tip of the hat to UCLA for creating what I think is one of the best games we've seen in a long time at Oklahoma City."

Leading 6-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Bruins (53-10) scored three runs to tie the game and force the second consecutive extra inning game for the Red Raiders. Tech regained the lead in the top of the ninth with Kaitlyn Terry hitting an RBI double to left-center field to score Taylor Pannell who had led off the inning with a single. With the bases loaded, Mihyia Davis hit the ball to the UCLA shortstop who made an error to give the Red Raiders another run which proved to be the game-winner. UCLA threatened in the bottom of the inning, scoring one run with only one out but NiJaree Canady reentered the pitcher's circle and got a flyout and strikeout to end the game.

Canady started the game but alternated turns throughout the game with Terry – combining for 14 strikeouts in the game. Canady (27-6) earned the win for the Red Raiders after throwing four innings, striking out seven and allowing five hits. Terry threw innings of relief throughout the game, finishing with seven strikeouts and scattering five hits and allowing two runs. Terry, who transferred to Tech after two seasons at UCLA, now has 502 career strikeouts.

"I was just trusting the ball in the circle, trusting my preparation at the plate," Terry said. "Just knowing this team is going to have my back. It's kind of staying locked in, knowing at any time either of us can go back in, each other is going to have their back no matter who is in. Keeping your mind locked in.

"I think it's honestly just trying to get our offense back in the dugout as fast as possible," Canady added. "Obviously, they have a lot of power. Trying to limit the damage as much as possible, going right at hitters, trusting our offense is going to take care of us."

Mia Williams hit her 25th home run of the season and went 3-for-5 at the plate while Jasmyn Burns hit her 18th home run of the season in the game. Tech finished the game with 14 hits, including Mihyia Davis going 3-for-6, Hailey Toney producing a 2-for-5 night and Pannell finishing 2-for-4 with two singles.

Canady, who also earned the win over Mississippi State on Thursday in the first game of the WCWS, improved to 102-23 in her career with 1,113 strikeouts.

UCLA's season ended with a 53-10 overall record while the Red Raiders responded from a 2-1 extra-inning loss to No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday and have still not lost back-to-back games this season.

"When I coached junior high ball, I would always have my team when something happened on the field exciting, my shortstop made a great play, one of the other players would automatically yell 'Softball!'. Everybody would count to three and say, 'I love this game.' That's all I thought when the game ended, is, "Softball! I love this game."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Three pitches, three hits, one run. That's how Tech started the game. On the first pitch of the game, Williams ripped a single off the center field fence and was followed by Davis who doubled on the first pitch she saw to move Williams to third. On the third pitch of the game, Allred swung and tapped it back to the pitcher, beating out a throw to first for a single and scoring Williams from third for the game's first run. The Red Raiders finished the first inning with four hits but would strand two to take a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the first and bring Canady into the pitcher's circle. A hit batter and a two-run home run is how UCLA started the game. After Grant was hit by a pitch, Woolery hit a homer to center field to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead before Canady got two groundouts to move to the second inning.

Burns responded immediately in the second inning with a leadoff home run to tie the game and give her 18 home runs on the season. With two outs, Williams and Davis both singled to left field before an Allred walk to load the bases and Lis took another walk to bring in a run for a 3-2 lead. A groundout by Pannell stranded the bases loaded but not before the two runs to regain the lead. Through two innings, Tech already had seven hits and three runs but had also stranded five runners. Canady allowed one single in the bottom of the second but also recorded two strikeouts to get to the third with Tech leading 3-2.

Tech went down in order for the first time in the game in the top of the third before UCLA tied it in the bottom of the inning. Slimp led off with a double to left before a walk and hit batter loaded the bases. Another hit batter brought in a run and also brought in Terry to the pitcher's circle to relieve Canady. Terry responded, getting a strikeout and then a flyout to Davis in center field to strand the bases loaded and keep the game tied 3-3 going to the fourth inning.

A leadoff single by Toney would lead to Tech retaking the lead after Williams was hit by a pitch and a ground out by Davis moved Toney to third and Williams to second. Toney would come in to score on an Allred sacrifice fly in leftfield foul territory for a 4-3 lead. Terry quicky got through the Bruin lineup with two strikeouts and a fly out to Halleman in left field to take the game to the fifth with the Red Raiders still leading by one.

After a scoreless fifth, Williams padded the Tech led by smashing a solo home run to left-center field for a 5-3 lead. Davis followed with a single, moved to second on an Allred walk and to third on a Lis walk. Davis would score on a sacrifice fly to right field, sliding past the UCLA catcher and touching the plate before the tag was applied. Tech would strand two runners but led 6-3 going to the bottom of the sixth inning. Terry continued cruising in the sixth, striking out the leadoff hitter before a single turned into a double play started by Williams at third to Pannell at second and Lis at first to put the Bruins down in order.

Down three going into the bottom of the seventh, UCLA tied the game after getting a leadoff home run from Suarez and then a two-run home run by Woolery. Suarez's homer came off Terry who exited after a single gave the Bruins a base runner. Canady came in an got a flyout by Grant before Woolery sent a shot to center to make it 6-6. Terry reentered the pitcher's circle and got an infield popup to end the inning and send the game to extra innings.

The game remained tied after eight innings with Terry striking out two to begin the bottom of the inning before allowing a single. Canady reentered the game, threw three straight balls but came back in the count to record a strikeout.

Back at the plate in the top of the ninth, Pannell led off the inning with a single to left field and would race around from first on the RBI double by Terry to give the Red Raiders a 7-6 lead with no outs. Tech would load the bases and added to its lead when Davis hit the ball to shortstop and a fielding error brought in Terry from third for an 8-6 lead. The final out of the inning was made on the play Spearman trying to score but being caught in a jam. UCLA cut into the lead with a Woolery single to score a run but Canady reentered the game to record a flyout and a called strikeout to strand the tying run at first to end the game.

UP NEXT:
Top-seeded Alabama is unbeaten in the WCWS with a 6-3 win over UCLA on Thursday and then a 5-1 victory over Nebraska on Saturday. The Crimson Tide earned an off-day on Sunday with the pair of wins and are currently on a seven-game winning streak coming into the matchup against the Red Raiders after sweeping through the Tuscaloosa Regional and Super Regional. Texas Tech is 1-3 all-time against Alabama with the last matchups coming in 2017.