There was a lot of West Texas in fans eyes on Sunday at Rocky Johnson Field and it had nothing to do with the near 40 mph wind gusts players battled on both sides all game.

"It's something I'll never forget," said Gerry Glasco following the game. "The enthusiasm the fans and Red Raider Nation showed our team, our players and our coaches all weekend. We couldn't have got this done without them and I hope they like the results."

Safe to say fans were very happy with the results after this Texas Tech team clinched their first trip to the NCAA Super Regionals with a 9-6 win over Mississippi State. Emphasis on TEAM, something superstar and USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist NiJaree Canady made sure to make clear as she left the press conference table.

"I know Chloe's not here but she pitched an amazing game. Just being able to come in means a lot. It says a lot about the pitching staff as a whole."

Canady battled through a blister, windy conditions causing some uncharacteristic defensive miscues behind her and simply a very good hitting team on the other side in Mississippi State for five strong innings. But with a runner on base and First Team All-SEC Sierra Sacco coming to the plate, Glasco knew it was the right time to make a move.

"I love Chloe in clutch moments....the one thing I know about Chloe from coaching her at Louisiana is she's really good in the clutch," said Glasco. "I know how mentally tough Chloe is, it's a huge bonus to have a veteran tough-minded pitcher like Chloe Riassetto."

Clutch she was as she forced Sacco into a ground ball that steady as always senior second baseman Alexa Langeliers fielded cleanly, stepped on second and rifled over to get the speedy Sacco at first.

It took every player on the team to win this game. From Canady being a warrior in the circle to start the game, to Riassetto closing it out. To what Glasco noted as the play of the game in Logan Halleman's early pinch slap hit....all the way down to the number nine spot in the lineup true freshman Hailey Toney who started a rally with a perfectly placed bunt single, then showed off her power for two massive home runs to lead off innings later in the game.

Each home run came immediately following a three-run inning from the Bulldogs. The freshman was a true momentum killer for MSU all day.

"It's a tough lineup top to bottom and you don't get to take a pitch off against a lineup like that," said Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts following the game when asked about Toney's two momentum shifting home runs. "I thought they did a really good job of responding and scoring pretty much every inning against us."

As Ricketts noted, the resilience of the Red Raiders was what won them this game, scoring at least one run in every single inning except the seventh. They refused to give in to their own mistakes or when the Bulldogs fought back themselves.

"Today you had to be tough to win, that was a tough game. Mississippi State gave us a war," said Glasco. "We could have folded at any moment and our kids were so tough and so resilient it made it one of the most proud games of my coaching career the way they just kept bouncing back."

Never back down, NEVER WHAT? Your Texas Tech Red Raiders were West Texas Tough, in the West Texas wind and now they will take that West Texas grit on the road with them when they head to Tallahassee to take on the No. 5 National seed Florida State Seminoles.

It's a best of three series format with game one set for 7 pm on ESPN 2. Game two will follow on Friday at 3 pm and if necessary a deciding game three will take place Saturday night at 7pm. All times listed are Eastern.

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