Today is a huge moment in the season. Own it. Bright lights. Loud crowd! All the things champions love and want. ESPN! Conference championship on the line. An NCAA Regional hosting opportunity on the line! Winning every conference series on the line.
Yet.....
It is still just a little simple 7 inning softball game with 21 outs!
I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
This is what Gerry Glasco sent his team at 7:59 a.m. Saturday morning hours before No. 14 Texas Tech softball would take on No. 13 Arizona that evening with a chance to win the series and take a commanding lead in the conference standings. While some like to pretend every game is the same, Glasco wasn't going to insult his players with such a notion. He knew, and they knew how big a series it was. Don't ignore it, own it. Embrace it and have fun doing it.
That's just what his team did on their way to a dramatic 5-2 victory over the Wildcats to seal the series.
Mihyia Davis led off the game with a double and eventually came around to score on an infield single from freshman Bailey Lindemuth. Davis got a hit and scored in the first inning of all three games in the series as the junior pushed her batting average to .370, currently second in the Big 12 in total hits (61) and fourth in runs scored (43.)
Texas Tech ace and all-around dawg in the circle NiJaree Canady got the start, making an appearance for the third straight day, and held the Wildcats scoreless in the first inning for the first time this series.
This was quickly followed up with Tech getting their second run of the game in the top of the second off a classic squeeze play that has become a staple of this Red Raider offense in 2025. This one executed perfectly by Lindemuth at the plate and Alana Johnson diving in to score just as the ball arrived.
Arizona battled back in the bottom of the third however with a solo shot on an impressive 10-pitch at bat for Dakota Kennedy and a sac-fly from Sydney Stewart to tie it at two.
From here pitching and defense took over for both teams. Each team threatened at moments but each was thwarted with no runs coming in the fourth or fifth as the game had fans on either side holding their breath into the sixth.
It was one GIANT exhale, scream and possible wall breakage for the Tech side of things there after though when the RS-Sophomore Lauren Allred sent a rocket out of center field for her eighth home run of the year. Lindemuth had reached earlier in the inning on an error and came around to score as well to give Tech a 4-2 lead.
Tech wasn't done yet either as shortly thereafter in the same inning, having just missed multiple home runs this series, senior Demi Elder yaboomed her second of the season giving the Red Raiders a 5-2 cushion with six outs to go.
It was the NiJa Canady show from there as she turned it up a notch like the greats do and sent down the final six Arizona batters in a row, including a strike out to end the game. Most impressive of all was that final pitch came in at 74 mph on the gun on pitch number 138 of the game and 305 of the series.
All in all Canady moved to 19-5 on the season, sitting at 209 total strikeouts across 144 innings pitched while holding a NCAA leading 0.89 ERA. This win marked Tech's sixth Big 12 series win in six tries. It also marked Gerry Glasco's 58th straight conference series win as a head coach, he has still yet to lose a conference series in his career dating back to his time at Louisiana.
Tech moved to 36-10 overall and 16-2 in conference play, ever so close to clinching the school's first Big 12 title. A feat they could complete at home next weekend when they host Arizona State for a three game series at Rocky Johnson. They also host North Texas for a midweek on Tuesday at 6 PM. Get your tickets here.
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