Texas Tech softball powered past Utah 7-1 behind NiJaree Canady and five home runs, giving the Red Raiders another series win and 40 victories.
Texas Tech softball kept rolling Sunday, beating Utah 7-1 to lock up another conference series and reach 40 wins for the second straight season.
The No. 1 Red Raiders improved to 40-3 overall and 16-2 in conference play, continuing one of the strongest runs in program history with a power-filled win and another dominant outing from NiJaree Canady.
Canady was once again the tone-setter in the circle.
The star right-hander moved to 17-2 on the season after striking out 11 batters, giving Utah very little room to breathe all afternoon.
Her command helped steady Texas Tech after a shaky defensive weekend, and she looked locked in from the start.
At the plate, the Red Raiders brought plenty of thunder.
Jackie Lis stole the spotlight with two home runs and three RBI, continuing a huge weekend in which she left the yard multiple times again.
Lis now has 14 home runs this season and is closing in on team leader Mia Williams, who launched her 16th homer on Sunday.
Williams finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Lauren Allred and Taylor Pannell also went deep as Texas Tech piled up five home runs in the win.
Pannell got the scoring started with a solo shot in the second inning, and the Red Raiders gradually built control before breaking things open late.
A key sixth inning featured back-to-back long balls from Lis and Allred, stretching the lead and putting Utah in a deeper hole.
After the Utes scratched across their only run in the bottom half, Texas Tech answered immediately in the seventh with a two-run blast from Williams and another homer from Lis for extra insurance.
There was also a key defensive moment in the fifth, when Texas Tech turned a 6-4-3 double play while protecting a slim lead.
The win also added another milestone to the weekend. This marks the second consecutive 40-win season for Texas Tech, something the program had previously accomplished only once.
Next up, the Red Raiders stay on the road and head to Utah State for a 3 p.m. CT matchup Monday in Logan.
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