Texas Tech softball opened the Tracy Sellers Field era with a 9-1 run-rule win over Iowa State as NiJaree Canady starred and Lagi Quiroga ended it with power.
Texas Tech softball gave its home crowd plenty to celebrate Friday night. In the first game played under the new Tracy Sellers Field name, the No. 2 Red Raiders powered past Iowa State 9-1 in five innings, improving to 32-2 overall and 9-1 in Big 12 play.
It was the kind of night that felt bigger than one game.
Texas Tech softball combined history, power, and pitching in a performance that checked every box. NiJaree Canady handled the circle with authority, earning her 13th win of the season after allowing just one earned run on two hits while striking out eight.
Iowa State managed only brief resistance, and once Tech’s offense found its rhythm, the outcome felt inevitable.
The Red Raiders kept applying pressure from the start.
Kaitlyn Terry continued her remarkable consistency at the plate, stretching her hitting streak to 21 games and matching a program record with an RBI double.
Mia Williams added two hits, while Taylor Pannell also reached and scored as Texas Tech kept traffic on the bases all night.
Then the power showed up. Desirae Spearman broke things open with a home run after a long, grinding at-bat, and Jackie Lis followed later with a blast of her own as the Red Raiders continued their season-long home run surge.
Texas Tech now sits at 69 home runs on the year, putting another program mark within reach. The final blow came from Lagi Quiroga, who crushed a two-run shot in the fifth to end the game early and lock up the run-rule victory.
There was more to the evening than just the score.
Canady was also presented with the season’s first Athletes Unlimited Softball League golden ticket after the game, marking her as a draft selection for the upcoming year.
That added another spotlight moment to an already memorable night in Lubbock.
For Texas Tech, this was a statement win in every sense. The Red Raiders launched a new chapter at Tracy Sellers Field the same way they’ve played much of this season ... dominant, explosive, and looking every bit like a national title threat.
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