Mia Williams set Texas Tech single-season records for home runs and RBI as the Red Raiders shut out Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament.
Texas Tech softball opened the Big 12 Tournament like a No. 1 seed with something to prove.
The Red Raiders rolled past Baylor 7-0 on Thursday, using dominant pitching, 10 hits and another monster performance from Mia Williams to advance to the semifinals.
READ MORE: Texas Tech Faces BYU in Critical Home Finale
Texas Tech improved to 51-5 and will face No. 5 seed Kansas on Friday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
Williams wasted no time rewriting the record book. Leading off the bottom of the first, she launched a home run to left-center field, setting new Texas Tech single-season records for both home runs and RBI.
She wasn’t finished. Williams added another solo shot in the fifth, giving her 22 homers and 72 RBI on the season.
That kind of power has become the heartbeat of a Red Raiders lineup that looks dangerous enough to make a deep postseason run.
Jackie Lis delivered the biggest swing of the third inning, crushing a three-run homer to left after Williams doubled and Hailey Toney walked.
Lis’ 16th home run of the season pushed Texas Tech’s lead to 4-0 and gave the pitching staff more than enough cushion.
NiJaree Canady took care of the rest.
The Red Raiders ace improved to 22 wins after throwing five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six.
She also reached 200 strikeouts for the fourth straight season, another reminder of why Texas Tech is built around elite pitching as much as explosive offense.
Kaitlyn Terry added value both ways. She tripled home Mihyia Davis in the sixth, then scored on Toney’s sacrifice fly. Terry also threw 1.2 perfect innings in relief before Samantha Lincoln recorded the final out on just two pitches.
Baylor finished with only one hit, and Texas Tech extended an incredible Big 12 Tournament streak. Dating back to last season, the Red Raiders have now won four straight conference tournament games by shutout.
For a team chasing trophies, that’s a terrifying combination: record-setting power, lockdown pitching and momentum at exactly the right time.
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