In front of a packed out Devon Park in Oklahoma City. In their first ever Women's College World Series appearance. Not even an hour long rain delay could stop Texas Tech from pushing their nation leading shutout number to 26 on the year as they took down Ole Miss 1-0 on Thursday night. It marked the first shutout in a team's debut at the WCWS in 20 years.

"Exciting, really fun to get out and be on the field," said Red Raiders head coach Gerry Glasco "A rain delay, having to wait an hour added to the fun I think, and the anticipation to finally get out there and see the crowd fill in and watch the stadium fill up. Really exciting to be on that field and play in that opening game."

The shutout came from the hands of someone who of course has very much been on this stage in the form of now back-to-back NFCA Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady. The junior ace was an extra bit of stellar from the jump, finishing with a line of seven innings pitched, only two hits allowed, no walks and 10 strikeouts. She carried a no hitter into the sixth inning.

And hey even a three-time WCWS participant can check a first off her own list as this win marks the first time Canady finds herself in the winner's bracket after day one of games in OKC.

"It's amazing," said Canady. "Actually, Lauren [Allred] was just saying it's my first time too. So it was definitely a goal of mine just to come back, have a day off tomorrow. So definitely huge. To be able to give this team a rest I feel like is going to be really good."

Trusting in her defense is something Canady has been able to do a lot this year, especially in the back half of the season, and they showed out behind her once again in this.

"I thought our defense was really good," noted Glasco. "Mihyia Davis made a Mihyia Davis catch out in the center field. I say all the time she's the best center fielder in the country. When she makes a catch like she did tonight, and she does that stuff all the time."

"And I thought our freshmen - third base, shortstop - they have done it all year, and they were outstanding again tonight. As well as Alexa Langeliers over at second base. Another good night. Just been the rocks all year on the infield, especially the second half of the season."

All that to say, you can't win if you don't score as well and a pitcher's duel carried into the fourth inning before Tech found it's first hit of the game on a rocket from Lauren Allred to left. It followed arguably the best at-bat of the game for a Red Raider to that point in her first plate appearance that ended in a line out. She was seeing it well on a night when the drop ball from Aliyah Binford was giving this team fits.

Her hit was so hard however it got to the left fielder too quick for her to get to second but Alana Johnson quickly rectified that when she scorched one just fair down the line to bring Allred all the way around to score from first. Johnson, like Allred, made great adjustments to time things up her second time around and bring in the only run they needed this night.

"First I want to say all glory to God. None of this would be possible without Him," said Johnson following this game.

"As Coach Glasco said, the first at-bat, I was early on a changeup, hit a ground ball. Our whole lineup almost was hitting ground balls. So he was getting on us a little bit, telling us to get the ball in the air. I figured I was going to get some more changeups because I got out my first at-bat on a changeup. So I was going to try to be a little bit late on a changeup and get it in the air a little bit."

Glasco calls Johnson the most improved player on the team this year. She is also no stranger to this stage having played in the WCWS as a freshman with Washington. That development and experience showed when it mattered most.

Texas Tech turns it's focus now to a game two matchup with perenial power and blue blood of the sport UCLA on Saturday. Who doesn't love a matchup of first time WCWS participant versus a 33 time WCWS participant? Yes thirty-three, the most in NCAA history.

Okay, Bet.

Fans who are interested on attending the game can find tickets on NCAA.com or the official resale partner SeatGeek. The game will be broadcast live at 6 pm CT on ESPN and on radio via DoubleT 97.3.

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