OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — NiJaree Canady has achieved almost everything since transferring to Texas Tech from Stanford and signing an NIL deal worth just over $1 million.
She has led the Red Raiders to three firsts — the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and a berth in the Women’s College World Series. She was the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year and leads the nation in wins (34) and ERA (0.97).
The only thing missing is a national championship. After her gritty performance in Game 2 of the best-of-three the championship series with Texas, that goal also is in reach.
Canady gave up a late lead in a 2-1 loss in Game 1 on Wednesday. She led the Red Raiders to a 4-3 win over the Longhorns on Thursday to force a decisive Game 3 on Friday.
Canady, who threw 88 pitches in Game 1, is battling a soft tissue injury on her left leg suffered in the preseason that has severely limited her practice time. Still, she bounced back went the distance in Game 2, throwing 107 pitches and working her way out of a jam in the seventh to get the win.
She’ll be ready to go again for Game 3.
“Yeah, I mean, tomorrow’s the last game no matter what,” she said. “Ready to leave it on the field.”
Canady lost the lead in Game 1 when she threw what was supposed be ball four and an intentional walk close enough for Texas’ Reese Atwood to make contact and drive in the winning runs.
She faced another jam in the seventh inning of Game 2 when Texas’ Katie Stewart reached on an error by the shortstop and Canady hit Victoria Hunter to put runners on first and second with no outs. Leighann Goode doubled to left center, scoring Stewart and moving Hunter to third. Pinch-hitter Katie Cimusz lined out to left field and Hunter scored to cut the deficit to 4-3.
But Canady got Ashton Mahoney to ground out and struck out Kayden Henry to end the game.
"I thought NiJa was huge,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said after Thursday’s win. “She went out there and just pitched her tail off and kept us in the position that, when we finally could make a move, we could really get that momentum in our dugout.”
Her coach marveled at her durability.
“NiJa, to pitch the way she pitched after 14 innings and now over 200 pitches in two days — or you could say it this way, over 200 pitches in less than 26, 27 hours. Just amazing to have the mental strength to get through that bottom of the seventh.”
Now comes a deciding Game 3. Canady has been on the hot seat before. She led Stanford to the national semifinals the previous two seasons and was the winning pitcher on Monday when Tech knocked out four-time defending national champion Oklahoma.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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