The Ole Miss softball team fought valiantly on the defensive end, but could not get the bats going against star Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady in what was the first Women’s College World Series appearance for both clubs.
Canady, who was the national player of the year one season ago, held the Rebels scoreless and only surrendered two hits in a complete game. Her feat marked the first complete game shutout for a pitcher in the World Series since Teagan Kavan led Texas to a 3-0 win over Florida back in 2005.
For Ole Miss, pitcher Aliyah Binford showed maturity in the circle, holding the No. 12 Red Raiders to just four hits and one run through a full six innings. She successfully pitched to soft contact, forcing a litany of groundouts and popouts to keep Texas Tech at bay for the bulk of the night.
Give us the double play ‼️@AliyahBinford ➡️ @LexieBrady30 ➡️ @persyllamas pic.twitter.com/3HxorWLpdr
— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) May 30, 2025
Texas Tech’s lone run came in the bottom of the fourth inning on an Alana Johnson double that ultimately scored Lauren Allred, due to a Rebel throwing error.
The Rebels were held hitless by Canady until the top of the sixth, when Jamie Trachsel’s crew finally found a small chink in the armor of the standout hurler. A one-out single by Angelina DeLeon was Ole Miss’ first hit of the night. Taylor Malvin proceeded to get on base, giving the Rebels their first runner in scoring position in the matchup.
However, Canady held strong and forced a subsequent strikeout and infield popout to keep her opponent scoreless. Canady, who was recruited to Texas Tech by Super Bowl-winning quarterback and former Red Raider Patrick Mahomes, then notched three consecutive strikeouts in the Rebels’ final offensive frame. She struck out a whopping 10 batters throughout the contest.
Ole Miss will fight once again in Oklahoma City and take on the loser of Thursday’s nightcap between No. 9 UCLA and No. 16 Oregon on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT. The game will be aired on ESPN2.
