It’s the kind of moment sports fans live for.
After a gutsy, nerve-wracking win in Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series finals, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have forced one final showdown with the Texas Longhorns. One more game. One last chance. A national championship on the line.
No pressure. None at all.
Friday night now becomes a winner-take-all clash between two in-state rivals that know each other all too well. And if Game 2 taught us anything, it’s that both teams are capable of brilliance—and both are prone to costly mistakes.
For Texas Tech, Game 2 was all about survival. Backed into a corner, the Red Raiders came out swinging—figuratively more than literally. They only tallied five hits, but they made them count. More importantly, they stayed disciplined at the plate, drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts (just one all game), and putting pressure on a Longhorns defense that cracked under the weight of the moment.
Errors. A hit-by-pitch. Missed opportunities. Texas gave Tech openings, and the Red Raiders took full advantage. That’s what good teams do when championships are on the line.
Then there’s NiJaree Canady.
What more can you say? Seven innings. 107 pitches. Six strikeouts. Three earned runs. Against one of the top lineups in the country. That’s the kind of performance you tell stories about years from now. She’s been the anchor, the spark, and the fighter this team needs—and she delivered when it mattered most.
Now, with everything on the line, we head into Friday night.
One last game in the 2025 NCAA softball season. One last game in Oklahoma City. One final battle between Red and Burnt Orange.
Whichever team wins will walk off the field as national champions. And whichever team loses? Well, they’ll have to live with the sting of being just one game short.
So yes, the pressure is real. But so is the opportunity.
