Williams walk-off forces WCWS Semifinal deciding game

Monday, June 1

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

6 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

60-8

Alabama

56-8

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

Mia Williams delivers a walk-off home run for Texas Tech against Alabama in the Women's College World Series.

Williams walk-off forces WCWS Semifinal deciding game

June 01, 2026 | Softball

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By: Wes Bloomquist

OKLAHOMA CITY – Mia Williams made it necessary.

No. 11 Texas Tech has forced a second game in the Women's College World Series Semifinals with a 5-4 win over No. 1 Alabama with Williams delivering a walk-off home run at Devon Park. The decisive game between the Red Raiders (60-8) and the Crimson Tide (56-8) to determine who reaches the WCWS Finals is set to begin at 9:09 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN. The winner will face No. 2 Texas at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the first game of the WCWS Finals.

Tied at 4 after Alabama's Jana Young hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning, Williams led off the bottom of the seventh and hit her 26th home run of the season to give the Red Raiders the win. Tech hit three home runs in the game with Taylor Pannell giving the Red Raiders a 4-2 lead with a two-run shot in the fifth after a solo homer by Lauren Allred in the third. Pannell and Hailey Toney led the Red Raiders with both infielders going 2-for-3 at the plate while Jackie Lis and Kaitlyn Terry both had singles in an eight-hit game for Tech. Toney gave the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead with a double in the second inning for the game's first run. Williams finished the game 1-for-4 and now has a team-leading 85 RBI this season with the walk-off home run.

NiJaree Canady (28-6) earned the win for the Red Raiders after throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief in a game with three pitching changes in the rotation between her and Terry. Canady reentered in the seventh after Alabama's home run to record two outs and keep the game tied. Canady struck out four and allowed one run while Terry threw 4 1/3 innings and recorded three strikeouts but allowed seven hits and three earned runs.

Vic Moten (21-5) took the loss in relief of starter Jocelyn Briski who threw 3 1/3 innings before exiting the game. Briski allowed six hits and two earned runs while Moten surrendered two hits and three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Terry worked a 1-2-3 first inning to start the game with a flyout, strikeout and groundout to get the Red Raider bats to the plate. Tech would go down in order in the first inning also with Briski recording three straight strikeouts to begin her night. Alabama scored the game's first run after getting a pair of singles off Terry to start the second inning. Tech's first pitching change brought in Canady who got a flyout to centerfield which brought in a run but then stranded the second Crimson Tide runner at third base with back-to-back strikeouts to end the top of the second inning. Toney would deliver Tech's first run of the game with an RBI double down the first base line, scoring Pannell who had a one-out single for the first Red Raider hit. With two outs and runners on third and second, Spearman pinch hit and flied out to centerfield to strand two but not before the Red Raiders had responded to tie the game 1-1 going to the third inning.

Canady remained in the pitcher's circle and worked around a leadoff single by getting two straight strikeouts and then a groundout to Pannell at second base for a scoreless frame. With two outs, Allred gave Tech a 2-1 lead with an opposite field home run into the left field bleachers. Through three innings, Tech led 2-1 and had a 5-3 hit advantage over Alabama.

The Crimson Tide tied the game at 2-2 with a leadoff home run from Giles in the top of the fourth to prompt Tech's second pitching change – back to Terry who would get out of the inning without allowing another run. Burns would walk and Toney single to center but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat and took the game to the fifth inning still tied at 2-2.

With two outs, Lis took a walk to set up Pannell who delivered a two-run home run to left field for a 4-2 lead through five innings. Terry rolled through the top of the sixth, getting around a one-out single with a strikeout and then lined out to Toney at shortstop.

Alabama tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run home run by Jana Young after a single by Kristen White in the top of the seventh inning. The homer off Terry tied the game and brought back Canady for the third pitching change of the game. Alabama would get a single but Canady coaxed a groundout to Pannell at third to end the top of the seventh with the game still tied.

On the fourth pitch she saw, Williams sent a shot to left field for the walk-off home run to set up a decisive game to follow.

UP NEXT:
No. 2 Texas (51-12) awaits the Tech-Alabama winner in the WCWS Finals which is set to begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Devon Park. A double-elimination format has games slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with the 2026 National Champion to be crowned after two wins. The Longhorns won the 2025 National Championship after beating the Red Raiders in three games.