The Red Raiders endured a chaotic Super Regional environment to return to the Women's College World Series.
Texas Tech outlasted Florida in the most dramatic softball game you'll ever see by a score of 16-7, where the score only represented half of the chaos that the beginning of this game had.
With the win in Sunday's Game 3, the 11-seeded Red Raiders advanced to the Women's College World Series for the second season in a row. They will face Mississippi State, which upset 3-seeded Oklahoma in Norman. It's the first time the Sooners have missed out on the World Series since 2015.
At the plate, the Red Raiders totaled 10 hits and were led by Jackie Lis' three, another home run from Mia Williams, and a pair of bombs by Taylor Pannell.
Texas Tech alternated between star pitchers NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry throughout the game while the offense answered each punch thrown. Canady was the pitcher of record as the Red Raiders took the lead for good in the third inning. The reigning national pitcher of the year earned her 100th career victory.
An electric first inning was stalled by a 2.5-hour weather delay after a lightning strike in the area. Before the break, Texas Tech jumped out to a 3-0 lead with emotions riding high.
Williams was hit by the first pitch of the game from Keagan Rothrock. It's the fifth (5!) time the Florida transfer was hit by a game just this weekend. Before the Super Regional, Williams had only been hit by four pitches in over 60 games during the regular season.
The Red Raiders and head coach Gerry Glasco reacted accordingly. They turned those tensions into a rally, with cleanup hitter Jasmyn Burns hitting a two-run single. Starting pitcher Kaitlyn Terry singled in Burns, but Florida had an answer.
Terry allowed the most runs in any first inning she's pitched this season. The Gators started with a walk and a base hit to get runners aboard. With two outs, Kendall Grover doubled them both in, and Kenleigh Cahalan's two-run home run to center field put Florida ahead 4-3 moments before the delay.
Williams carried her motivation into the second inning with a two-run home run to put the Red Raiders back in front 5-4 in a hurry. After the home run, backup catcher Victoria Valdez was issued a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct as she chirped the Gators crowd after Williams' homer.
Lis joined the slug show during the restart. She launched her 19th home run of the season to tack on two more after Mihyia Davis was walked. The Red Raiders led 7-4 in front of a stunned Florida crowd just getting back comfortable after the delay.
Glasco went to the lineup card to shuffle Canady and Terry in the circle once the Gators brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the second inning. Terry induced a massive strikeout of Florida's top hitter, Jocelyn Erickson.
The Gators' depth answered. One batter later, Ava Brown tied the game at seven with her second homer of the series off of Terry. Canady was brought back into the game for the next batter to retire the side with a strikeout.
To lead off the third, Taylor Pannell see sawed the momentum back to Texas Tech, who led 8-7 off her home run to left. That prompted Florida to make a rare pitching change, bringing in freshman Leah Stevens.
The inning continued with Lis sending away her second homer of the game, this time scoring three to grow the Red Raiders' lead to 11-7.
After the Gators cooled off with the game's first 1-2-3 inning, Taylor Pannell kept the Red Raiders' offense hot with her second homer of the game coming in the fourth to push the lead to 13-7. It was the 50th combined home run of the Super Regional to set a new NCAA tournament record.
Canady and Terry both appeared in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Gators worked the bases loaded with two outs. Canady roared after her strikeout of Grover that ended the inning and threw up another zero.
The Red Raiders got on the verge of a run-rule advantage as the offense loaded the bases in the next half inning. An infield error - Florida's third of the game - allowed the Texas Tech runner to score from third. Pannell worked a walk to push the merciful lead to eight, 15-7. Stevens issued the Gators' staff's eighth free pass, which allowed Texas Tech to score again with the bases loaded.
Florida coach Tim Walton was ejected arguing balls and strikes as the Gators were down to their final three outs. After a leadoff single off Canady, Texas Tech went back to the starter, Terry. The Red Raiders ended it with a strikeout and a pair of groundouts.
It is the first time Florida has lost at home via the mercy rule in the NCAA tournament in program history, and the Gators refused to partake in the post-game handshake line.
