Saturday, April 19
Tucson, AZ
7:30 p.m.
Texas Tech Athletics
36-10, 16-2
5
at
2
Arizona
37-9, 14-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Texas Tech
1
0
1
0
0
3
0
5
7
0
Arizona
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
5
1
No. 14 Red Raiders take the series against No. 12/13 Arizona
April 19, 2025 | Softball
Tech uses three-run sixthing inning to secure series against the Wildcats
TUCSON, Arizona – With all eyes on Tucson for the standalone rubber match between No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 12/13 Arizona on ESPN 2, the Red Raiders delivered arguably their best win of the season. Tech (36-10, 16-2) took the game 5-2 against the Wildcats (37-9, 14-7), after a big sixth inning on offense and a gusty 138-pitch performance from NiJaree Canady, to earn its sixth straight conference win of the year.
Canady had just three strikeouts on the night but pitched as tough an outing as she has all season. The Wildcats put up two runs on her in the third inning, but after that allowed just two base runners the rest of the way. The last pitch of the game was Canady's third strikeout and 138th pitch which she hurled into Victoria Valdez's mitt at 74 mph, a testament to how tough the junior pitcher is.
The offense again had big at-bats when they needed them as Lauren Allred and Demi Elder both left the yard at a crucial moment in the game to swing the momentum back into Tech's dugout.
How it happened:
Mihyia Davis had another big hit to lead off the game as she roped a double into right center field on a 1-0 count. Hailey Toney moved her over with a fly ball to center and then Bailey Lindemuth delivered the finishing touch with a single to third base to give Tech an early 1-0 lead.
Lindemuth would account for the second Red Raider run after Alana Johnson led off the third inning with a double and a Davis sac bunt moved her up to third. Toney walked to put runners on the corners and then Lindemuth laid down a bunt that scored Johnson and cushioned Tech's lead up to 2-0 entering the bottom half of the third.
The Wildcats did not go away, however, as they tied the game in the bottom half of the third with a one-out home run by Dakota Kennedy who worked a 10-pitch at-bat before getting ahold of one. Arizona then loaded the bases, still with one out, and hit a sacrifice fly into right field to knot the game at 2.
The fourth and fifth innings saw both teams record just one hit each as Canady and Arizona's Devyn Netz engaged in a pitcher's duel similar to game one.
That would change in the sixth inning as Lindemuth reached safely on an errant Wildcat throw which set the stage for sophomore first baseman Lauren Allred to step up to the plate. Allred had been on base a couple of times in the series with walks and fielder's choices but did not have a hit to her credit all weekend. None of that mattered when 0-1 pitch was delivered right in her wheelhouse and struck over the fence in left center field for a no-doubt home run that gave Tech a 4-2 lead.
Two batters later, senior Demi Elder made her way to the batters' box. Elder had two or three balls that were caught right at the wall this series just missing a couple of home runs by inches. This time she left no doubt as she crushed an outside pitch to left field on a 0-1 count to give Tech a commanding 5-2 lead.
Canady kept hold of the momentum as she threw a seven-pitch inning thanks to strong infield play by Toney at short and Lindemuth at third.
The final three outs came at the top of the Wildcats order. Canady got the first out on a line out to left, the second out she scooped up off her shoe and made a direct throw to first base and the final out – the most fitting one – was four-pitch swinging strikeout which led to a signature 'NiJa Stomp' to put an exclamation point on a huge series win for the Red Raiders.
UP NEXT: The Red Raiders will have pair of mid-week games next week against North Texas and UT-Arlington on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Â
Canady had just three strikeouts on the night but pitched as tough an outing as she has all season. The Wildcats put up two runs on her in the third inning, but after that allowed just two base runners the rest of the way. The last pitch of the game was Canady's third strikeout and 138th pitch which she hurled into Victoria Valdez's mitt at 74 mph, a testament to how tough the junior pitcher is.
The offense again had big at-bats when they needed them as Lauren Allred and Demi Elder both left the yard at a crucial moment in the game to swing the momentum back into Tech's dugout.
How it happened:
Mihyia Davis had another big hit to lead off the game as she roped a double into right center field on a 1-0 count. Hailey Toney moved her over with a fly ball to center and then Bailey Lindemuth delivered the finishing touch with a single to third base to give Tech an early 1-0 lead.
Lindemuth would account for the second Red Raider run after Alana Johnson led off the third inning with a double and a Davis sac bunt moved her up to third. Toney walked to put runners on the corners and then Lindemuth laid down a bunt that scored Johnson and cushioned Tech's lead up to 2-0 entering the bottom half of the third.
The Wildcats did not go away, however, as they tied the game in the bottom half of the third with a one-out home run by Dakota Kennedy who worked a 10-pitch at-bat before getting ahold of one. Arizona then loaded the bases, still with one out, and hit a sacrifice fly into right field to knot the game at 2.
The fourth and fifth innings saw both teams record just one hit each as Canady and Arizona's Devyn Netz engaged in a pitcher's duel similar to game one.
That would change in the sixth inning as Lindemuth reached safely on an errant Wildcat throw which set the stage for sophomore first baseman Lauren Allred to step up to the plate. Allred had been on base a couple of times in the series with walks and fielder's choices but did not have a hit to her credit all weekend. None of that mattered when 0-1 pitch was delivered right in her wheelhouse and struck over the fence in left center field for a no-doubt home run that gave Tech a 4-2 lead.
Two batters later, senior Demi Elder made her way to the batters' box. Elder had two or three balls that were caught right at the wall this series just missing a couple of home runs by inches. This time she left no doubt as she crushed an outside pitch to left field on a 0-1 count to give Tech a commanding 5-2 lead.
Canady kept hold of the momentum as she threw a seven-pitch inning thanks to strong infield play by Toney at short and Lindemuth at third.
The final three outs came at the top of the Wildcats order. Canady got the first out on a line out to left, the second out she scooped up off her shoe and made a direct throw to first base and the final out – the most fitting one – was four-pitch swinging strikeout which led to a signature 'NiJa Stomp' to put an exclamation point on a huge series win for the Red Raiders.
UP NEXT: The Red Raiders will have pair of mid-week games next week against North Texas and UT-Arlington on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Canady, NiJaree (19-5)
L: Netz, Devyn (17-5)
Batting:
2B: Davis, Mihyia 1 ; Johnson, Alana 1
HR: Allred, Lauren 1 ; Edge, Cimone 1
RBI: Terry, Kaitlyn 2 ; Allred, Lauren 2 ; Edge, Cimone 1
SH: Davis, Mihyia 1 ; Terry, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Davis, Mihyia 1 ; Terry, Kaitlyn 1 ; Allred, Lauren 1 ; Edge, Cimone 1 ; Johnson, Alana 1
CS: Halleman, Logan 1
Batting:
HR: Kennedy, Dakota 1
RBI: Kennedy, Dakota 1 ; Stewart, Sydney 1
SF: Stewart, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kennedy, Dakota 1 ; Shockey, Regan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballWCWS Championship Series Final - Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, June 07
WCWS Championship Game 3: Highlights
Friday, June 06
WCWS Championship Game 2: Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, June 05
WCWS Championship Game 2: Highlights
Thursday, June 05