OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas slugger Reese Atwood knew that if her Longhorns were going to rally to beat Texas Tech and superstar pitcher NiJaree Canady in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals Wednesday night, she would have to take a risk.
So, as Canady tried to toss ball four of an intentional walk attempt, Atwood swung.
“I saw my opportunity,” Atwood said, “and I took it.”
Atwood smacked what would have been ball four to left field to score a pair of Texas runners in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Longhorns stunned Texas Tech 2-1 to take the opener of the best-of-three championship series at Devon Park.
Canady had shut the Longhorns down all game, holding them to just a single runner in scoring position before the sixth inning.
But after two more Canady strikeouts, back-to-back singles and stolen bases by Kayden Henry and Mia Scott gave Texas life.
Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco instructed Canady to intentionally walk Atwood to load the bases and set up the force out at any base. The call was made even though Atwood, Texas’ cleanup hitter, had yet to record a hit at the WCWS, going 0-for-10 to that point, her longest hitting drought of the season, according to ESPN Research.
Afterward, Glasco defended the decision.
“I didn’t want to pitch to maybe the best hitter in the country,” he said of Atwood, an All-American who entered the night batting .398 with 21 home runs on the season. “You got to give her credit. She wanted to play ball. She wanted to make a play. And she made a difference in the game at a time when we were trying to take her out of the game.”
Canady had not attempted an intentional walk all year, according to ESPN Research. Still, the reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year took the blame for leaving a ball close enough to the plate for Atwood to swing.
“I made that mistake,” Canady said. “I think that loss is on me, and I apologize to my team.”
Atwood said she realized Canady was taking “a little bit” off her pitches trying to execute the intentional walk. After the first ball, which neared the strike zone, Atwood said she readied herself to swing if another pitch came close — a call that surprised even Texas coach Mike White.
“I said, ‘I didn’t give you the 3-0 green light,'” he said he joked with her. “But I’m glad she didn’t listen to me.”
The Red Raiders got the leadoff runner on base in the seventh inning off an error by Texas shortstop Leighann Goode. But Longhorns ace Teagan Kavan, who has yet to allow an earned run over 24 innings this WCWS, retired the next three batters to pick up her fifth career victory in Oklahoma City.
The Longhorns are now one win away from their first softball national championship. With another victory, they can become just the third SEC program to win a softball national title, joining Alabama (2012) and Florida (2014, 2015).
Glasco wouldn’t commit to starting Canady again in Game 2. She has thrown all 388 pitches for the Red Raiders in the WCWS and has battled a soft tissue injury in her left hamstring since February. But Glasco hinted that Canady would be ready if she did return to the mound Thursday.
“If you got to pick a pitcher in America to come back and win two games in a row with, I’ll take NiJa,” he said. “If anybody can do what we need to do to come back … I’m thrilled to have NiJa.”