OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Teagan Kavan threw a one-hitter against Stanford for the second time in the Women’s College World Series, and Texas beat the Cardinal 1-0 on Monday night to advance to the best-of-three championship series.
The top-seeded Longhorns (55-8) are two wins away from their first national title. They will play the winner of Tuesday’s semifinal matchup between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 4 Florida on Wednesday. Florida beat Oklahoma on Monday to force the if-necessary game.
Texas has won three games at Oklahoma City, all of them one-hit shutouts. Kavan, a freshman, blanked eighth-seeded Stanford on Thursday, throwing 124 pitches in a 4-0 win, and the Longhorns beat Florida 10-0 on Saturday, with Mac Morgan working five one-hit innings in a game shortened by the mercy rule.
Alyssa Washington scored the lone run for the Longhorns in the seventh inning Monday, beating the tag at the plate on a rundown attempt after a bunt by Ashton Maloney.
That was enough for Kavan, who retired the side in order in the bottom half. She struck out seven and walked one.
Kavan outlasted Stanford’s NiJaree Canady — the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and national leader in ERA and strikeouts.
Canady gave up one unearned run and five hits and struck out seven against the Longhorns, who lead the country in batting average.
Washington led off the seventh with a grounder to Stanford second baseman Taryn Kern, who couldn’t field it cleanly. She moved to third on a double by Joley Mitchell. Maloney then tried to bunt Washington home, and she was called safe after the rundown. The call was upheld after a Stanford challenge.
Stanford (50-17) was the last Pac-12 team left in the tournament. The traditional softball powerhouse league will split up next season.
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