OKLAHOMA CITY — Kaitlyn Terry allowed two runs in five innings and drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, leading the way for Texas Tech in an 8-7 victory over UCLA on Sunday at the Women’s College World Series.
Terry and NiJaree Canady alternated pitching duties seven times for the Red Raiders, but it was Terry who was the star of the game against her former teammates. Her double in the ninth inning scored Taylor Pannell to make it 7-6 and she scored an insurance run on an error later in the inning.
UCLA rallied in the bottom of the ninth when Jordan Woolery, who earlier hit two home runs, drove in Rylee Slimp with a one-out single. Canady came back in to pitch and ended the game on a flyout and a strikeout.
Terry, who transferred to Texas Tech from UCLA after last season’s World Series, struck out seven in her five innings. Canady (27-6) was credited with the win because she finished the eighth inning.
Eleventh-seeded Texas Tech (59-8) advances to the national semifinals against Alabama on Monday. The Red Raiders will need two wins to advance to the championship series for the second consecutive season.
UCLA trailed 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning but leadoff batter Ramsey Suarez ripped a pinch-hit home run off Terry to make it a two-run game. With two outs, Woolery, who finished with three hits and five RBIs, sent an 0-1 pitch from Canady deep to center field for a game-tying home run.
UCLA’s Taylor Tinsley (33-8), who pitched every inning in the Bruins’ three games, allowed eight runs, seven earned and threw 181 pitches.
UCLA’s record-setting season came to an end after scoring 672 runs and hitting 209 home runs. The eighth-seeded Bruins (53-10) also set records for most total bases and most RBIs.
The matchup was the first between two teams with more than 600 runs in a season.
The game was delayed for a few minutes before the bottom of the eighth when the automatic sprinklers came on in right field.