Sunday night had everything you could want for a dramatic elimination game featuring the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and UCLA Bruins. The game offered timely pitching, home runs, emotions, and sprinklers. Yes, you read that right: sprinklers interrupted the game in the eighth inning, causing a brief delay just one pitch into the bottom of the inning. Ultimately, it would go in favor of the Red and Black as they survived and advanced with the 8-7 win in 9 innings.
The first inning was the first indication of the type of game this would be; it would go back and forth up until the end. Lauren Allred started off by driving in Mia Williams to give Tech the early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, NiJaree Canady gave up a two-run homer to Jordan Woolery. Overall, it would be quite the game for Woolery, who drove in five of UCLA’s seven runs by the time it was all said and done.
Jasmyn Burns responded in the bottom of the inning with a home run to left field to tie it at 2. Jackie Lis would walk with the bases loaded to give Tech the 3-2 advantage heading into the third inning.
Kaitlyn Terry would play a vital role in this game with her pitching in the middle innings. She was able to limit the impact of the UCLA bats, which allowed Tech to build a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Allred gave Tech a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly. Williams homered to give the Lady Raiders a 5-3 lead in the sixth before Taylor Pannell drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to right.
Terry wasn’t able to finish out the seventh. Head coach Gerry Glasco would pull Terry in favor of Canady following the solo home run by Ramsey Suarez, who pinch hit for Soo-jin Berry. Woolery would send the game to extras on a two-run homer to straightaway center field.
After a scoreless eighth inning for both teams, it would all come to a head in the ninth. Kaitlyn Terry’s bat would come alive on an RBI double that scored Pannell. Terry would score on an error by the shortstop to give Tech the 8-6 lead. Woolery once again hit an RBI single to close the gap, but Canady would get the last laugh, punching out Bri Alejandre on a 3-2 pitch for the win.
UCLA pitcher Taylor Tinsley (33-8) gave the Bruins everything she had, pitching all nine innings, facing 47 batters and throwing a mind-boggling 181 pitches. She was charged with 7 earned runs, striking out 7, walking 6, and hitting two batters.
Texas Tech survives and now faces Alabama on Monday night in a win-or-go-home matchup. If the Lady Raiders win the matchup against the Crimson Tide, they will face off in a winner-take-all matchup with Alabama following the completion of the game.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT. The second game, if necessary, is tentatively set for 8:30 p.m. CT.
This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Texas Tech survives UCLA, sprinklers to advance to WCWS Semifinals
Reporting by Patrick Conn, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
