OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders softball will need two wins in one night against No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide softball to advance to the Women’s College World Series Finals for the second consecutive season.
The Red Raiders (59-8) stayed alive with an 8-7 win in nine innings over UCLA on Sunday and enter Monday’s semifinal matchup needing a victory at 6 p.m. to force an if-necessary game later at Devon Park.
Texas Tech is 2-1 in the WCWS, opening with an 8-0 run-rule win over Mississippi State before falling 2-1 in nine innings to Tennessee. Alabama (56-7) is unbeaten in Oklahoma City with wins over UCLA and Nebraska and enters on a seven-game winning streak.
The Red Raiders are coming off a 14-hit performance against UCLA, led by Mia Williams, who went 3-for-5 with a home run, and Mihyia Davis, who added three hits. NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry combined to strike out 14 batters in the win.
Williams leads Tech through three WCWS games, hitting .556, while Davis is batting .538 with a team-high seven hits. Jackie Lis leads the team with four RBIs in Oklahoma City.
Texas Tech enters the matchup as one of the nation’s top offensive teams, ranking first in hits (654), second in batting average (.380) and third in home runs (139). The Red Raiders also lead the country with 37 run-rule victories this season.
Canady (27-6) and Terry (24-2) anchor the pitching staff, both ranking among the national leaders in wins and ERA.
Alabama brings one of the nation’s top pitching staffs into the matchup, leading the country with 24 shutouts and ranking second with a 1.50 ERA. Brooke Wells and Alexis Pupillo power the offense, combining for 44 home runs this season.
The winner of Monday’s matchup will advance to the WCWS Finals, which begin Wednesday at Devon Park.
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: