Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan (17) pithes in the third inning of the first game of the Women’s College World Series softball championship series between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 1 Texas Softball Defeats Texas Tech in Nine Innings Thriller

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Isa Almeida | Last updated Feb 15, 2025 10:20 AM ET

AUSTIN -- Unlike the earlier game, which ended in a five inning win over unranked Maryland. Texas had to leave blood, sweat and tears on the field against No. 10/8 Texas Tech.

It took the Longhorns nine innings to get past their in-state rivals, including some pretty familiar faces.

As expected, it took the Longhorns more time to get the ball running against the top-10 ranked Red Raiders. The teams went into the fourth inning scoreless, despite having players in scoring positions. Sophomore outfielder Logan Hallemen finally put a score on the board in the top of the fourth after freshman catcher Anya German singled to left center.

A lot of it can be credited to the work of both pitchers.

In the pitching duel, it looked like a deja-vu from Texas' Women's College World Series semifinal match against Stanford. Now-Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady transferred to to Tech in the offseason after earning the title of USA Softball Player of the Year. Canady fell to a freshman Teagan Kavan in the pitcher's duel.

Less than a year later, the story repeated itself. Kavan recorded 18 strikeouts against Canady's new team, while Canady had 11 against the Longhorns. The Texas sophomore won 3-0 to Canady's 3-2.

Texas finally got through Canady in the bottom of the fifth inning as senior utility Mia Scott doubled down the left field to allow redshirt junior outfielder Ashton Maloney to get the team's first score.

All equal going to the sixth. 1-1.

Neither team could get past the third base. Not in the seventh quarter. Not in the eighth. But at the bottom of the ninth, Victoria Hunter singled to first base, allowing Joley Mitchell to put the Horns up 2-1.

Game over.

No. 1 Texas has yet to drop a game this season, with this being by far the closest victory. But Tech still has a change to get back as the team's face each other again on Sunday, concluding the Bevo Classic tournament. Up next for Texas is UMass and a rematch against Maryland on Saturday for the second day of the event.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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