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2026 WCWS: Texas Tech outlasts UCLA in elimination game

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 7.46.34 PMby: Brady Vernon06/01/26BradyVernon

Texas Tech and UCLA were in a race to the finish line. Neither team wavered as their seasons hung in the balance. In the end, Texas Tech won 8-7 to eliminate UCLA from the WCWS after a nine-inning thriller.

“That’s all I thought when the game ended, is, ‘Softball! I love this game.’ Just a great sport this is. The environment here in Oklahoma City, unbelievable,” Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco said. “The talent UCLA has, they’re hard to beat, as you could see. I was so impressed the way they just kept coming at us, coming at us. You don’t expect anything less from a program like that with the tradition they have, the great coaches they have, then the unbelievable talent in those uniforms. Tip of the hat to UCLA for creating what I think is one of the best games we’ve seen in a long time at Oklahoma City.”

NiJaree Canady struck out Bri Alejandre, looking to leave the tying run at second base. Canady struggled in her back-and-forth appearances, as Glasco kept flipping her and Kaitlyn Terry the way he did in the Gainesville Super Regional. However, Canady came through in the biggest moment to keep the Red Raiders alive another day.

NiJaree Canady celebrates her game-ending strikeout (Crash Kamon / Softball America)

Terry had an incredible relief outing against her former team, but her bat may have been the most important part of it. Terry’s RBI-double in the top of the ninth gave her team the lead for good after Texas Tech added another run on an Aleena Garcia error.

The lefty trotted back to the circle in the bottom half of the ninth. UCLA wasn’t going down without a fight. Rylee Slimp had a one-out single and Megan Grant followed with a walk. Jordan Woolery, who had already homered twice, represented the game-winning run. She didn’t homer, but smoked a ball back up the middle for another RBI.

Glasco went back to Canady in the ninth after that. Garcia flew out on the first pitch and Canady ended the game against Alejandre.

Glasco first called upon Terry to come in with the bases loaded in a tie game in the third. She struck out Kaniya Bragg on three pitches and Alexis Ramirez flew out to end the inning. From there, Terry was on cruise control. She retired the first nine batters she faced before allowing a hit to Bragg. Although she was erased on an inning-ending double play.

Terry entered the seventh with a three-run cushion. That was cut down to two after pinch-hitter Ramsey Suarez lifted a solo shot to lead off the frame. Glasco turned back starter NiJaree Canady, which turned out to be a mistake.

With her career on the line, Woolery didn’t have a nerve in her body. The Softball America Player of the Year kept the Bruins’ season alive. She blasted a 267-foot bomb off of NiJaree Canady to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Her second off of Canady in the game and her 36th of the season.

Jordan Woolery rounds the bases after her game-tying home run (Crash Kamon / Softball America)

Terry ended up throwing up five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. A very impressive line against UCLA’s offense, especially one that knows Terry well.

“Her ball was really moving. I mean, she got so many swing and misses,” Glasco said. “I saw 72 (MPH) on the scoreboard. When you watch (Terry), you see like the ultimate competitor. Just greatness is what I see. Tonight I saw her and her greatness giving everything she had to our ballclub.”

Texas Tech clearly wanted to be aggressive in the batter’s box. The first three Red Raiders swung at the first pitch with great success. Mia Williams nearly hit a home run, hitting the top of the wall for a long single. Mihiya Davis lined a double over a leaping Rylee Slimp in left field for a double. Lauren Allred hit one of the top of her bat for a swinging bunt single. Williams came in to score on the throw to first, but the Bruins got Davis out at third. Taylor Pannell added an infield single, but despite four hits in the frame, Texas Tech only scored one run as Taylor Tinsley mitigated the damage.

Tinsley working her way through traffic was the theme early on. After yielding a solo shot by Jasmyn Burns in the second, which barely went out, Tinsley struggled against the top of the order. Williams and Davis had back-to-back two-out singles. Tinsley then issued a pair of walks to allow another Red Raider to score. Once again, Tinsley avoided a huge inning, inducing an inning-ending groundout.

Texas Tech was back in business quickly in the fourth. Hailey Toney led off the fourth with a single and Williams was hit by another pitch. Those two moved over on a grounder by Davis. Toney then scored on a sacrifice fly. Tinsley struck out Jackie Lis on a beautiful called strike three to leave another runner in scoring position.

Williams and Davis were on Tinsley all night, combining for six of Texas Tech’s 14 hits. Williams blasted her 25th home run of the season in the sixth. Davis singled and scored on a sacrifice fly for another late insurance run.

Woolery kick-started the UCLA scoring back in the first. After two strong curveballs from Canady, Woolery hit out a two-run homer to give the Bruins an early lead.

After a clean second from Canady, the top of the order got the ball rolling once again. Slimp led off the third with a double. Canady struck out Grant on a nasty changeup. The wheels fell off after that. Canady walked Woolery after a long at-bat. She hit the next two batters, leading to another run. That’s when Canady initially exited for Terry before the true madness

For UCLA, Tinsley gave it her all, throwing 181 pitches over all nine innings, to close out her career. She gave the Bruin offense a chance and that’s what mattered in the end. Tinsley kept Texas Tech 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, continually working out of jams.

“She’s just awesome. No one understands what she’s given to this team and this program,” Woolery said. “I just wish that everyone was able to see Tinsley how we see Tinsley. This year has been so hard for her. What she’s done has been so special. Like, she cemented herself and legacy within UCLA softball. Honestly it’s been a privilege to watch. I feel so honored to know her and watch her journey, see what she’s given to this program the last for you years. It’s honestly so cool.”

Texas Tech will face Alabama on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Red Raiders will need to win twice to return to the championship series. Both Canady and Terry threw fewer than 80 pitches in the win, allowing them to potentially play two games. Patrick Murphy’s team needs one win to advance to the final series for the first time since 2014.

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