By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — Finally, Texas has broken through.
Mia Scott hit a grand slam, Teagan Kavan won again and Texas defeated Texas Tech, 10-4, in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series championship series on Friday night to claim its first national title.
Texas had lost to Oklahoma in the championship series two of the previous three years. Oklahoma was one of the teams Texas beat on its way to the championship. And Texas coach Mike White finally won in his ninth World Series trip between his coaching stints at Oregon and Texas.
“I’m still trying to process the whole thing,” White said. “Actually, it’s something you dream about.”
Kavan, a sophomore, allowed no earned runs in all 31⅔ innings she pitched at the World Series. She went 4-0 with a save in the World Series for the Longhorns and was named Most Outstanding Player.
She was happy to win it for White in the Longhorns’ first year playing in the Southeastern Conference.
“Without Coach White, I don’t know if we’re here,” she said. “He’s the best. He’s so competitive. He wants it just as bad as we do, of course. And he pushes us to be better every day. He makes me a better pitcher mentally and physically. And so there’s no one else I’d rather play for. He’s the bomb, and I’m glad we got it done for him.”
Leighann Goode hit a three-run homer, Kayden Henry had three hits and Scott, Reese Atwood and Katie Stewart each had two hits for Texas (56-12).
Texas Tech star pitcher NiJaree Canady, who had thrown every pitch for the Red Raiders through their first five World Series games, was pulled after one inning in Game 3. The two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year gave up five runs on five hits and only threw 25 pitches. The loss came after she signed an NIL deal worth more than $1 million for the second straight year.
Not even support from former Texas Tech football star Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, who were in attendance, could put the Red Raiders (54-14) over the top.
Canady’s night started like many of her others, as she struck out the first batter she faced. After that, she didn’t resemble the pitcher entered the game leading the nation in wins and ERA. Goode’s homer in the first gave the Longhorns a 5-0 lead.
Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said he was pleased with Canady’s effort throughout the season, but he pushed her a bit too far.
“If I had a game in two days, that’s who I want beside me to go to war with,” he said. “She’s an unbelievable talent.”
Scott’s blast came in the fourth inning and gave Texas a 10-0 lead.
Hailey Toney was a bright spot for the Red Raiders. She singled to knock in two runs in the fifth, then singled to knock in another run in the seventh.
It was a surprise run for the Red Raiders. Glasco left Louisiana to coach at Texas Tech this season. The team only had three returning players and had to mix a group of newcomers together.
The Red Raiders won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and reached the World Series for the first time.
“To end up in this position, playing for the national title, making it go all the way to three games – just a historic season, and I’m really proud of my team and the effort that they give us from top to bottom,” Glasco said.
CANADY BREAKS DOWN
Canady had thrown 88 pitches on Wednesday, 107 on Thursday before lasting just the one inning on Friday.
She had no doubt she was going to pitch, despite going the distance in the previous five World Series games.
“I’m always going to play – like throw my game, throw what I’m confident in,” Canady said after a 4-3 win over Texas in Game 2. “It’s gotten me through three years, so I’m just going to keep doing that.”
Cat Osterman, one of the most decorated pitchers in U.S. softball history, says the heavy pitching load has taken a toll on Canady and Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan, but it’s not quite like if a baseball pitcher did it. Osterman said because of the way a softball is released, fighting through is more about endurance and leg strength than arm pain.
“It’s more of being fatigued than it is being sore or painful,” she said. “Obviously, with baseball guys, like it’s a five-day recovery period. And I know the upper body probably feels a lot worse than anything. And that’s not the case for us.”
Osterman, who is a general manager of the Volts in the Athletes Unlimited softball league that begins play Saturday, said softball pitching still is tough on the body.
“I’m not going to say there’s not effort and strain on the arms, because absolutely there is, but it’s not as much the arm as it is the legs,” she said. “And so for us, it’s a matter of can you train your body to have enough endurance, core and lower half, to sustain the impact of 200 pitches a day, etc.
Osterman played for Texas at a time when there were no off days at the World Series. Canady had breaks between games three times during this World Series. The first two were earned because of wins. The third was because there’s an off day built into the schedule before the championship series.
Osterman said she understands why Canady kept going. Osterman, for all she achieved, never won a national title because she pitched during one of UCLA’s championship runs.
“I mean, when you’re this close to winning a national championship, there’s nerves, there’s adrenaline,” she said. “It all plays a part.”
