OKLAHOMA CITY — NiJaree Canady gave up just four hits and struck out seven batters, and Texas Tech defeated UCLA 3-1 on Saturday to reach the Women’s College World Series semifinals in the program’s first trip to the national championship event.
The 12th-seeded Red Raiders (52-12), who had never been beyond the NCAA Division I softball tournament’s regional round until breaking this year their seventh appearance, need one win Monday to reach the best-of-three WCWS finals. Texas Tech, the Big 12’s regular-season and tournament champion, improved to 7-0 in this year’s national postseason.
No. 9 UCLA (55-12) is still alive in the double-elimination format. The Big Ten’s Bruins will play Southeastern Conference member Tennessee in an elimination game Sunday.
Saturday’s contest matched programs with very different histories. UCLA has a record 12 WCWS titles, while Texas Tech was just two days removed from its first-ever game in the event at OGE Energy Park at Devon Field.
“It feels amazing, just this being our first time here as a team and just being able to get to the semifinals,” Canady said. “I feel like it’s a huge accomplishment by itself, but obviously we’re not finished. We’re going for the whole thing like every other team here. But it’s definitely something to be proud of.”
Canady has plenty of personal experience at the WCWS. She led Stanford to the semifinals the past two seasons, helping the Cardinal eliminate UCLA in Oklahoma City last year before transferring to Texas Tech.
Canady ran into trouble against UCLA a few times Saturday before coming through, like she did so many times before while suiting up for Stanford. Both programs were in the Pac-12 before joining other leagues this season, with Stanford moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I guess you’ve got to start everything with NiJa in the circle,” Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco said. “She’s just so fantastic, and I thought she pitched a gem of a game.”
UCLA loaded the bases with one out in the second, yet Canady, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s pitcher of the year, escaped without allowing a run.
Texas Tech’s Makayla Garcia stole home in the fifth to open the scoring. She slid between UCLA catcher Alexis Ramirez’s legs to get the run.
“Coach Glasco told me, ‘Hey, we’re going to go and we’re going to take a chance,'” Garcia said. “And I had to trust him in that moment, and I trust him — he’s a great coach. And so I was like, ‘You know what? We’re going to do it.’ And it had to work in our favor. And luckily it did.”
UCLA’s Kaniya Bragg answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning.
Hailey Toney’s solo blast in the sixth put Tech ahead 2-1, and Raegan Jennings’ RBI single in the seventh made it 3-1 for the final margin.
UCLA got two runners on with no outs in the seventh, but Canady again avoided scoreboard damage.
“We just found a way to win,” Glasco said. “And that’s kind of what we’ve become. We pride ourselves on being a mentally tough team, a resilient team that can go out under pressure and play defense when we have to play defense in tight moments.”
Taylor Tinsley took the pitching loss against Texas Tech, giving up four hits in a complete game, and she said the Bruins are ready to move on.
“I feel like the big thing with this team is we have a really short-term memory,” she said. “Each play is kind of like in the past. This game is already as old as dirt for us, so we’re just ready to get back out there.”