Texas beats Texas Tech in wild Game 1 of WCWS finals after hit during intentional walk attempt

AUSTIN (KXAN) — If the opening game of the Women's College World Series championship series is any indication of what the rest of it will be, then buckle your seat belts, softball fans.

Texas claimed a 2-1 win over Texas Tech to take a 1-0 series lead Wednesday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in a game not short on drama.

While attempting to walk Texas catcher Reese Atwood in the sixth inning intentionally with runners on second and third, Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady threw the 3-0 pitch a little too close. Atwood swatted a hard grounder through the infield, plating Kayden Henry and Mia Scott to give the Longhorns the lead.

"The game was really tight, and I knew I had to take a risk to do something for my team," Atwood said. "I've never had to do that before. I've never had a pitch that was over the plate like that. "

It was Canady's first intentional walk attempt of the season, and she took ownership of the mistake after the game.

"I think that loss is on me," she said, "and I apologized to the team."

The 2-run single snapped a 0-for-10 slump for Atwood in the WCWS. Henry slapped a single to left field with two outs to extend the inning, and then stole second base to move into scoring position. Scott did just enough on a 0-2 changeup to loop a base hit over Canady's head, moving Henry to third. The key to the rally was Scott taking second base on the next pitch uncontested, moving two runners in scoring position as Texas Tech was in the process of walking Atwood.

The first pitch Canady threw to Atwood in the sequence was very close to the strike zone, and after the second and third pitches were further out, Atwood stayed ready for what was supposed to be the fourth ball and delivered the go-ahead hit into left field.

"I was looking for something," Atwood said. "Props to Nija, she kept us real tight. She's a great pitcher, but I saw my opportunity, so I took it."

Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco said he had to give credit where it was due.

"She wanted to play ball," he said. "She wanted to make a play, and she made a difference in the game when we were trying to take her out of it."

Texas Tech took a 1-0 lead on a Mihyah Davis bloop single into right-center field in the fifth amid controversy. On the preceding play, it looked like Atwood threw out Texas Tech's Logan Halleman by a good distance on an attempt to steal second base. Glasco challenged the play for potential obstruction by Texas shortstop Leighann Goode, and the replay officials overturned the out call, granting obstruction and giving Halleman second base. She scored on Davis' hits with two outs to give the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead.

"It's a tough call, but I'm proud of how we responded," Atwood said. "That's all that matters. We were fired up after that, and we got the momentum from there."

Texas out-hit the Red Raiders 4-3, and the Longhorns overcame four fielding errors. Two of the charged errors were on a catcher's interference call on Atwood in the first inning, plus the obstruction call charged to Goode.

Longhorns pitcher Teagan Kavan worked out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the first inning. She got Canady to ground into a double play, and then Alexa Langeliers hit a soft grounder back to Kavan to end the threat. Kavan (27-5) allowed three hits, two in the first inning, with three strikeouts and a walk in a complete-game performance.

Canady (33-6) struck out seven in six innings without issuing a walk. Texas Tech left five runners on base while Texas stranded three.

A Longhorns win Thursday will give the program its first national championship, and a Red Raiders win will extend the series to Friday.

Texas head coach Mike White has a decision to make whether to throw Kavan again or go to another arm, but he thinks he knows what Glasco and the Red Raiders will do in the circle for Game 2 at 8 p.m. Thursday.

"Without a doubt, he's going to throw her (Canady)," White said. "He already said he's not going to lose with his ace on the bench, and I trust Gerry."