Texas Tech blanked Kansas 14-0 in five innings to reach the Big 12 Championship, led by Kaitlyn Terry’s standout performance.
A dominant shutout turned Friday night into a steppingstone for Texas Tech as the Red Raiders advanced to the Big 12 Championship game for the second straight season.
No.. 1-seeded Texas Tech sent No.. 5-seeded Kansas home after posting a 14-0 win in five innings. setting the stage for what comes next: the Red Raiders will await the winner of Arizona State versus Oklahoma State tonight.. The road to the title matchup now belongs to a team that has built momentum quickly. with its pitching and batting both coming through at the right times.
Kaitlyn Terry delivered another standout outing in the circle, improving to 22-1.. The left-hander allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out nine batters. doing the job with efficiency. needing only 79 pitches.. Her impact was not limited to the pitching staff either. as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored twice for Texas Tech.
In a game that never really allowed Kansas to settle. Texas Tech’s offense piled on 14 runs through four home runs and 13 hits. supported by five walks.. Jackie Lis. Taylor Pannell. Desirae Spearman. and Jasmyn Burns each connected for homers. helping Texas Tech reach 125 runs on the year.. Lis and Burns each are now at 17 home runs for the season. and Lis also recorded her 200th career RBI. a milestone that underlined how long her contributions have been shaping the program.
Mihyia Davis added to the offensive burst as well. going 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI to move to 5-for-6 during the tournament after also delivering her fifth triple of the year.. Mia Williams contributed an RBI double and climbed to second in program history for doubles in a season with 20.. Lauren Allred had two runs. reaching base with a hit and a walk. while Spearman and Burns bounced back in their own way at the plate. with Spearman going 2-for-2 and Burns going 2-for-4.
The way the game unfolded made the margin look almost inevitable once Texas Tech gained control early.. Terry set a familiar tone from the quarterfinal round again. striking out two batters and leaving a runner stranded on first after a walk.. Texas Tech also drew two walks. and Burns made Kansas pay with a slashed opposite-field home run that pushed the Red Raiders to an early 3-0 lead.
Terry kept the pressure on through the middle innings. striking out batters in both the second and third frames to maintain the 3-0 advantage into the bottom of the third.. Texas Tech then turned one inning into a statement: Lis opened the half with a solo shot to left. Terry had a single and Allred reached on a walk. and Pannell followed with a three-run blast to left field to make it 7-0.. Spearman added a solo homer as well. giving Texas Tech five runs in the inning and pushing the game into run-rule territory.
Meanwhile. Kansas’s lineup struggled to find its rhythm against Terry again. as she sat the Jayhawks down in order and kept the shutout intact.. In Texas Tech’s final at-bats. the Red Raiders reached base five straight times. with four hits and one Kansas error. extending the lead to 11-0.. Davis quickly added two more runs with a triple to right-center. and Williams capped the scoring with a double down the left-field line before Kansas recorded its final out.
The result carried extra weight for Kansas despite brief threats, including runners on the corners with one out after a hit by pitch and a single. Terry responded by striking out the final two batters, preserving the shutout and giving Texas Tech five straight shutout wins in the Big 12 Tournament.
That streak matters because it reflects more than just one good night; it shows a consistent ability to execute in high-leverage moments. where a single lapse can swing momentum.. In this matchup. that consistency came from both sides of the game. with Terry controlling Kansas and the Red Raiders backing her with power and patient baserunning.
Up next, Texas Tech will take on the winner of Arizona State versus Oklahoma State tomorrow at 11 a.m., with the championship matchup set to be carried on ESPN.
For the Red Raiders. the final hurdle now comes into focus. but the path they carved through Friday night is clear: a pitching performance built to shut down an opponent. followed by a batting surge that made the scoreline grow quickly and steadily.. In Misryoum’s coverage of the game. the standout takeaway is how quickly Texas Tech turned opportunities into separation. leaving Kansas without room to recover—while Terry’s work in the circle set the tone from the first outs to the final strikeout.
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