Texas vs. Arizona State: 2026 NCAA softball super regionals Game 3 | FULL REPLAY: transcript

Our Capital One starting lineup for the champions of the Big 12 tournament, the Arizona State Sundevils. Sam Swan, the go-ahead home run in the fifth yesterday. Did not turn out to be the game winner, but she has been the bread winner for this offense, driving in nine, including five of Arizona State here in the Super Regional. That's the lineup for head coach Megan Bartland. And her Sunundevils are ready to go. [cheering] Tegan Kavan with a first pitch strike to Tanya Wendell. 71 mph out of the right arm of last year's Women's College World Series most outstanding player. We are underway at 3:35 Central.

[cheering] The winner to the World Series, the loser to next season. >> Team Cavan had been so hot herself. We talked about Kinsey Brown in the month of May. That's how team Kavon had been. She had been one of the hottest arms, tough to hit against, not giving up many runs after that SEC tournament championship that she pitched Texas to just a couple of weeks ago. But Arizona State has had great at bats off of her in both the starts in game one and game two.

>> Tanya Wendle, the senior, began her career at Utah Tech, will end it as a Sunundevil. She's reached base in 12 in a row. [cheering] And Windle takes a rise ball up and out of the zone. The velocity certainly very good for Kavon early. She lasted only two innings yesterday. Three hits, two walks, two runs, and stunningly did not strike out a batter [cheering and applause] for the first time this season. No Ks for Cavan.

A little flare to left field. Here comes Kyle Altmire and it lands in front of her. A leadoff base hit for the Sunundevil Windle. [cheering] Well, Tegan Cavan is known for her rise ball, but it's been the development of her change up at her career at Texas, now [music] a junior. And that change up has got hitters out in front. She'll bring it down to 70 with the change up, but she'll go up in the zone with 10 in of vertical break with her rise ball. It's like there's been a big focus with her [music] drop down and her change up down to complement that rise ball. It is her go-to pitch. She will throw it 70% of the [cheering] time. High heat up in the zone and down in the zone with the drop at 70 plus.

>> Kaylee Pond rips one to right field. A [cheering] sizzling line drive from Pond. It ends up and out on what may have been the hardest hit ball of this Super Regional. >> I think it's going to be really important for Arizona State to have quality at bats, put some pressure on Texas early in this game because Arizona State had believed because of Swan coming up to the plate now and the home run that she hit. They gave up that lead late. felt a little deflated when they left the field yesterday. So, the best way to combat that against the defending national champs is to come out and score early. Get on the board first. Put pressure on them.

>> Well, here is Sam Swan who's driven in five of the seven Arizona State runs. Four for six, a walk and a homer in the super. And Cavan does something that Texas hasn't done much. She goes inside on Sam Swan. It's been really interesting how Texas and other opponents in the month of May have pitched Samantha Swan [cheering] trying to work her low and away and she's had a lot of success on that pitch including all of her extra base hits in the month of May. [cheering] >> One-1 for the Star Catcher.

A little tapper. Cavan will field it and get the out at first. Windle over to second [cheering] [applause] >> but Cavan retires Swan and there are two away. >> [cheering] >> Arizona State 45 and 17 on the year. Finished just sixth in the Big 12, 11 and 13 in of the conference for Megan Bartlett's team, which got hot late, swept the top three seeds in the Big 12 tournament.

Ashley Mahia, last one foul straight back for strike one. One lineup change today, a flip of Mahia and Emily Shep in the four and six spots. Mahia had a couple of doubles in game one and an RBI. >> Both of those against Tegan Kavan [cheering] >> and Mahia is behind nothing and two.

[applause] Arizona State has been pretty darn good in these spots. Six for 16 in the supers with runners in scoring position. [applause and cheering] They didn't have a runner in scoring position for the last four innings yesterday except for the solo homer by Swan. Slai Gutierrez [cheering] retired the final [applause] eight. 02 pitch [cheering] and it's ball one outside directly deemed by Scott Mayer who has the plate in this decisive game three. Couple of great takes by Arizona State with two strikes in the against Kavon, a strikeout pitcher. Arizona State's chase rate with two strikes in the super regional is 76%. That is extremely high in game one and game two.

>> MAHIA SWINGS AND misses after a strikeoutless game two. Cavan gets a K to end a scoreless first in game three. When she's smiling like that, you know Tegan Kavan is feeling good throwing to her best friend back behind the plate, Reese Atwood, who is so fired up to get that first K. >> The Texas Longhorn starting lineup brought to you by Capital One. Katie Stewart and Reese Atwood. RBI hits in the fifth inning yesterday to tie the game. They've combined for 130 homers, 487 RBI's, the most by any duo in Texas history. They are national champions and they are going to go up against Kenzie Brown starting for a second time, pitching for a third time, a game one winner who took the loss in game two and is looking to extend her career from Austin to OKC.

[cheering] >> Kenzie Brown is truly one of the best in the game. She got drafted to play in the Aussl. She's going to throw a rise ball. That [music] is her go-to pitch. She'll go down with her drop ball that she'll throw at 70 and as an offspe pitch [music] and then she will also work in her change up. So do two different versions of an offspe pitch. One with her off speed drop ball and then one with her change up. That rise ball again is going to come in at 70 plus miles an hour. Drop and her change up are her best swing and miss pitches down in the zone. And she is just like Tegan Kavon a strikeout pitcher.

>> Starts the game with Kaden Henry. [cheering] and starts the game with ball one. [cheering] >> Henry couple of hits, two for six, a double and a walk in this series. We talk about all Americans often in this matchup. Kaden Henry could certainly be one. 413 on the year. OPS over 1150. >> Henry is reaching base [cheering] nearly half the time and she's upped her power game. 17 doubles lead the Longhorns and eight home runs. from a player who only hit nine home runs in her entire high school career. [cheering] She's added more power each and every season. Now her third in Texas.

[cheering and applause] Two from Brown. Oh goodness. That hits Henry in the helmet. [cheering] A frightening start [applause] as Kaden Henry jogs down to first base [cheering] and she shows the crowd that she feels just fine. Texas will send out a coach to check on her though. [cheering] >> Going to go up and in with this rise ball. Goes off the bill of her hat or her helmet, excuse me.

Check it in to make sure that she is okay. You have speed at first base if she is able to stay in. >> Member of the Texas staff looking at Henry right now applying pressure to the helmet. >> Athletic trainers are taught to go through the [cheering] pressure protocol in these moments. And it appears that Kaden has passed. She has reached base all three games now to lead off the game. [cheering] >> I haven't seen Texas officially attempt to steal yet. They've run on some pitches that have been put in play or knocked foul. Let's see if Henry indeed does that here with Katie Stewart, the batter.

>> And a first pitch is an off speed strike to Stewart who has just one hit in this super regional. when we've seen Texas be aggressive early in the count against the first pitch against Kinsey Brown. So, she drops in that change up, but a high first pitch swing rate that they've had both in her start and her relief appearance last night. >> Stewart had a first pitch double against her in the fifth inning. One hit the big one RBI double put Texas on the [cheering] board as she gets backto back off speed pitches on the outside edge.

>> [cheering] >> Katie Stewart fourth in the nation in home runs, eighth in slugging percentage. She was named the SEC player of the year. [cheering and applause] >> Texas has really struggled in these spots though all series long. [cheering] >> Pop it away for ball one. >> Texas head coach Mike White talked about how Kinsey Brown has just not made very many mistakes against these Texas hitters. There's one to Hannah Wells and her home run in game one and maybe a couple last night, but she's been really stingy and she is one of the best two strike pitchers in the country.

[cheering and applause] >> Browns one, two. >> That's in [cheering] the dirt. [applause] [cheering] >> The Texas Longhorns, the number two overall seed, the second highest seed they've ever had. They were the number one overall a couple of years ago. Last year won the title as a six seed. [cheering] Champions of the SEC tournament >> and one win from OKC.

Stewart chases strike three and Kenzie Brown responds from the leadoff hit by pitch with a K of Katie Stewart. >> You could tell exactly what Kinsey Brown wanted to do in this at bat against Stewart. go low and away and off speed and she gets the chase with two strikes on that offspe drop ball well out of the zone. That is a big strikeout and confidence builder for Brown after that hit by pitch. Strikeout number 262 on this exceptional year for Kenzie Brown as she pours in strike one to Viviana Martinez.

Junior from the state of Arizona who missed last year due to a knee injury. Has been right in the middle of Texas's NCAA tournament success. >> Martinez down to third. picked by Emily Shep who gets one and make it two. [cheering] A critical error for Shep yesterday opened the door for Texas in the fifth, but today she starts an inning ending double play in the first.

>> Welcome back to Austin, Texas. Game three between Arizona [music] State and the Texas Longhorns. And the hero, the reason for a game three on this Sunday afternoon, not even found in the Texas [music] lineup. pinch hitter Vic Hunter who had the go-ahad home run yesterday to give Texas their first lead of this Super Regional and eventually the win in game two to force a game three today. I caught up with her before the game and I said, "What makes you such a good pinch hitter?" She said, "I have learned to focus so much on my breath work. I have to keep my heart rate down. So when my name is called, there's no panic. It's just adrenaline and excitement. When my name's called, I'm ready." Well, [cheering] she has been ready time and again, Alyssa, had a pinch hit RBI single to get Texas [cheering] on the board in the SEC championship. Remember two years ago, a pinch hit grand slam in game one of the supers here against&m.

No doubt in a big spot. Vic Hunter will be called upon again by Mike White. A scoreless game as we hit the second [cheering] and Tegan Cavan works to Katie Chester. Talked to some of the Texas players earlier in the week. Reese Atwood said we're better this year because of the depth we have. That's an example the depth they can go to off the bench with Victoria [applause and cheering] Hunter. >> Jester had a quiet super regional [cheering] 0 for four with a couple of walks.

Katy Chester is one home run away still from tying Sid Sanders single season Arizona State home run record. A proud power hitting program history. as Chester [cheering] knocks one foul. >> That's crazy to look at ASU's super regional numbers and see that Katie Chester has been quiet, Ashley Mahia has been quiet, and so is Emily Shep. Three three hitters right there in the middle of the order for ASU that have yet to do a lot of damage. Are they going to wake up today? [cheering and applause] >> Chester with a line drive out to short.

[applause] >> [cheering] >> Cavan has retired four in a row off of a leadoff single. >> Wasn't much of a question for Mike White. He was going to go back [music] to his ace who's only thrown seven innings in the first two games at his super regional. Thrown [cheering] 37 pitches over the two games. Kenzie Brown in comparison has thrown 10 innings and 144 pitches. So both aces are in fairly similar spots. So Tegan's thrown a little less.

There's a foul ball off the end of the bat of Emily Shemp. [cheering] We've seen Tegan Cavan struggle in some different ways in this series, Amanda. What do you expect from Tegan Cavan in game three? What tweaks can she make based on the first two games? I expect her to show up and and be the Tegan and Kavan that we have seen in the NCAA tournament before Super Regionals and then all of the 2025 NCAA tournament through the World Series. And [cheering] that means that she's getting swings and misses on her rise ball. She is effectively going down the zone at the knees with her drop ball. And she also is throwing her change up low in the zone and not leaving that pitch up in the zone where ASU can hunt it and look for mistakes up.

>> Shep down the line at third. That's a fair ball. Got a piece of the change up and Emily Shep dropped in the batting order responds with her first hit of the supers. >> Well, and I think that that was just a an Emily Shep coming to the plate that is like I am going to do whatever it takes to find a way to get on. That change up wasn't at a bad height at all. Good pitch, but just a Emily Shep going up that is resilient. I guarantee she went up saying, "I am going to find a [music] way to get on base today and contribute to this offense in game three of the Super."

>> A transfer from Arizona who has the second Sunundevil hit. And now a ball slapped through the left side by Yaya Akuna. [cheering] Akuna three for six with a walk in the supers. And on back-to back pitches, Arizona State puts two runners on. >> That ball was hit hard past JC Nichols. JC Nichols was halfway at the line expecting a bun and Aunia just slaps it past her to get two on for ASU. And the one thing to know too, we talked about this in game one and game two. ASU has seen a lot of rise ball pitchers in the month of May. I think that they're just very comfortable against a rise ball pitcher like Kavon because of the experience that they've had against some of the best rise ball pitchers in the country before this.

>> Finally, a swing and a miss on that rise ball. It's Brooklyn. [cheering] >> We had the best at bat of the supers yesterday. A 10 pitch battle against Cavan ending in an RBI double. [cheering] That was in the second inning to open the scoring. [cheering] And the lifelong Sunundevil fan [applause] can do so again. [cheering] >> One-1 pitch.

[cheering] >> And I think when Tegan Kavon sees that swing and miss on her rise ball, it starts to fill that confidence cup inside of her. It starts to give her momentum. It starts to give her a positive mindset that she can continue to get those swings and misses. So that first rise ball swing and miss against Olrich I think was big in this inning. [cheering and applause] >> Does not strike out despite a reset would roar a pitch that looked perfectly over at the knees.

>> This has got to be called. This is a strike right at the knees. I think that gets the bottom of the zone. It's definitely right down the heart of the plate. We have to have that be a called strike there. Scott Mayer the plate umpire missed it. Alrich gets a reprieve and [cheering] Atwood takes time. >> Well, now Reese Atwood is going to go out and talk to her. Just understanding how important this at bat is for Tegan and Kavon. And we talked about that swing and miss with the rise ball and she just missed that drop ball down in the zone there. She wants to make sure that Tegan Cavon is in the best head space to continue this momentum that she's built even within this at bat here.

>> [cheering] >> Two on, one out. Homewood swings and misses. [cheering] >> A little extra work, even more satisfying for Cavan. >> This relationship that Cavan and Atwood have is just so special. The way that she went out to talk to her probably. I believe in you. Still go at her with your best stuff. Look at how Reese Atwood I just gives her eye contact after that strikeout. She knows what she is capable of. And it's getting the chase like that. But nearly every one of Tegan's games in three years.

And now the nine hitter Thiate Hoing well late on that rise ball. [cheering] Hoing had a six-game hit streak snapped yesterday. [cheering] Overall numbers are okay. The tournament numbers are terrific. >> She had a couple of hits off Kavon on Friday night >> in the dirt. Atwood [cheering] gets a backhand to it. [applause] Shep at second and Akunia at first hold with two outs in this scoreless game.

>> The one thing to think about with a lower zone is how tall Reese Atwood is back behind the plate. So I'll be interested to see as this game goes on [cheering] with Sam Swan being 5'3 only back behind the plate and Reese Atwood being 6 foot. Does that affect the strike zone at all for the home plate umpire? We have ve two different catchers that are completely different heights. and Tegan Kavan and Kinsey Brown throw very similarly. Both lean on their rise ball. Both go down with their drop ball. I'm interested to see though with a differentiz catcher if we're able to get the bottom in the zone with Swan catching for ASU.

>> Here's a visit from Patty Ruth Taylor, Texas's pitching coach. Tegan Cavan has had precious few easy innings in this super regional. One of the things that head coach Mike White says that they continue to emphasize to Tegan is that sometimes when she feels like she's not in control, they remind her that she is. You're in control of your best pitch, which is your next pitch. Sometimes as a player, you can get stuck in looking at who's on deck, the game itself. One pitch at a time has been their biggest message to her.

>> And she struggled a little bit, Alyssa, through the month of April. Cavon, like a lot of these Longhorns, hit a bit of a mid-season skid, was really roaring out of it in May until running into Arizona State. These are the numbers in games one and two. And two on here in the second of game three as [cheering] Cavan misses wide. That first inning to open the series was an 11 pitch, 11 strike, one, two, three inning. Cavan has allowed a base runner in all eight of the innings since.

[cheering] Three and one for Ho Ching. >> And a strike moved in there to run the count full. [cheering] [applause] That mindset is so important for a pitcher just to [cheering] continually work on to stay positive. >> [applause] >> The runners will go Shep and Akuna. [cheering] >> Coaching takes in the dirt. Both four loads the bases. [cheering] Cavan's first walk. Flips the lineup card over to Tanya Wendell.

>> It's a great at bat by Ho Chi to take some pitches there. Make Tegan Cavan work. Not chase like Brooklyn did in the at bat before her. [cheering] And Wendell, the senior from Peoria, has the moment of her college softball life, >> began her career at Utah Tech. Arizona State hosted the first ever softball camp she went to, fell in love with the school, and transferred there after her first year in college.

[cheering] She has the bases full in the second as she grounds the ball to first and Stewart. [cheering] Arizona State gets three runners and strands them all. Still scoreless in game three. Kenzie Brown has come a long, long way. Her first year at Tulsa. Megan Bartlett desperately wanted to get her to Ball State where she was coaching before taking the Texas assistant job. She goes to Tulsa for a year. Transfers to Arizona State. Missed her second year there due to an ankle injury. Bounced back brilliantly. First team all-American [music] a year ago, 128 erra, 289 strikeouts, and has continued to grow this year, becoming a third round pick of the Portland Cascade in the Aussl draft. Brown comes from Lake City, Illinois, a tiny, tiny town of about 60 people. Had a 678 erra as a freshman in Tulsa. It is hard to believe Amanda what she's become.

>> Well, and she's battled through injury, too. Even this season, you saw that she missed a season with that ankle reconstruction actually, but she was injured earlier this season. I think that's what you see that March RA inflated, [applause] but took some time to get healthy and you saw April, she rebounded and has pitched her best of the season in the month of May. >> A big batter here with Reese Atwood and an offspe strike starts her 0 and one. [cheering] Hard to believe when you look at the numbers and where Kenzie Brown came from, but not hard to believe for Megan Bartlett. She said when she saw Kenzie Brown at age 15, she said, "I looked at her and told her she was going to be a professional."

>> Well, it's almost like she saw this month coming before the Big 12 tournament. Megan Bartlett had said, "I'm excited to see what she's going to do in the final month of her career here." Went on to win the Big 12 tournament. went on to upset the number 15 national seed in College Station against Texas A&M. And now she's here complete game, game one against a two seed. >> Atwood with a high drive to center field. Does it have enough distance? Not quite. [cheering] Running track power for Reese Atwood, the all-time home run leader. And Brown gets the first out of the second.

>> Well, I think Kevin that she's absolutely thriving working under John Bartlick, the the pitching coach for Arizona State. He had come from Oklahoma State where he was an assistant and then a longtime head coach at Tulsa. John Barkfeld is one of the best pitch callers in the game. >> Leanne Good with a pop up on the first pitch. That's an out for Chester.

Four pitches, two outs for Brown. Megan Bartlett was the head coach at Ball State 2016 to 2020. Said, "I begged her to be a Cardinal [cheering] Midwest kid. We lost her to Tulsa," she said, who was a top 25 team at the time. Megan Bartlett comes to Texas, was an assistant right here on the 40 acres for two years. Got the Arizona State job >> and got Kenzie Brown.

Good [cheering] strike to Hannah Wells. Well, and I'm thinking even after the Big 12 tournament championship game, Jerry Glasco, the head coach at Texas Tech, just sang her praises. He had said in that postgame presser that Kinsey Brown is the best pitcher that we had faced even last year through their World Series run. He thinks that she truly is one of the best in the game right now. [cheering] >> That's off the corner to Hannah Wells who took her deep in game one. The only run Texas scored in the opener.

[cheering] That is the only hit for Wells in the series. The Gatorade National Player of the Year a season ago in high school. [cheering] A big rip and a miss and it's one and two. [cheering] Brown was so efficient in the first game. A complete game on only 94 pitches. [cheering] looking to rip through the second on just 18 pitches total [cheering] [screaming] >> and [cheering] Wells is frozen on a calm third strike. Brown hops off the mound with some pep in her step. She has not allowed a hit through two.

>> It's early, but [music] everything seems to be working right now for Brown. Look at her pop out this change up right at the knees. Paints the inside corner. Three up, three down for the All-American. >> Couple of thousand fans and at least one Longhorn for Arizona State and Texas. Winner to the Women's College World Series. Kaye Pond leads off against Tegan Kaban. And Pond [cheering] takes a sharp drop ball for a strike. Three hits a walk. Four runners all left on base so far for Arizona State. Megan Bartlett said, "We need to create pressure from the start against Cavan."

And that's exactly what they've done. [cheering and applause] >> They've got some big hitters to create some pressure here. Pond, Swan, and Mahia. They're 234. Kaylee Pond just one for eight in the series. Had an absolute rocket out to right field first time. And a ground ball to first here picked [cheering] by Katie Stewart for out number one. Well, Texas has to feel good about the fact that Tinkavan is settling into this game, has a couple of strikeouts, and also knowing how well Slali Gutierrez has pitched in this series that she'll be able to have Cavan's back. Slai Gutierrez has maybe looked the best in her career with the way that she pitched yesterday in relief and also in game one pitched a couple of innings, but they have not seen Hannah Wells, the freshman pitcher for Texas either, who they're very I mean, that would be a little risky move, right? bring in the freshman who hasn't thrown in supers, but it would be a different look that ASU has

not seen yet. And Texas can potentially really flex the depth of their pitching staff with those different looks. [cheering] >> Samantha Swan a ground out back to Cavon her first time >> and she punches this one toward Martinez. The Texas shortstop [cheering] for the second out. [applause] >> [cheering] >> Tiffany, welcome to Mcomesfield in Austin, Texas. Arizona State and second seated Texas are in a scoreless game.

And just a couple of minutes ago, you could probably hear the roar all the way in Norman from the folks [cheering] here in Austin when they were informed of the Mississippi State score line. A dramatic pause by the PA announcer between Mississippi State 6 and U0. And these Longhorn fans now can only worry about their game. They need to beat an unseated team or risk falling out of the World Series field as well. as Ashley Mahia pops up to left. [cheering] Tegan and Cavano. One, two, three. Third inning. Great pitching match up we've got for you here. We'll tell our new audience about it when we return to Austin.

The last five national championships won by Oklahoma with a four peak and Texas [music] last year. U is out. shut out by unseated Mississippi State, which truly makes you feel like anything is possible in this sport this time of year. Kevin Brown, Amanda Scarboro, another unseated team in Arizona State trying to knock out another defending champ. >> Is Texas the defending national champ going to be there or not? I mean, we have seen lowscoring games for all the offense that we saw in super regionals and in regionals. We have not seen that here in Austin because we have two of the best pitchers in the country going head-to-head. Two all-ameans that have kept lowscoring games. Kenzie Brown versus Tegan Cavan. The matchup. One of these teams will join this list. A list that for the first time includes Mississippi State. Sam Rickettts out of the Oklahoma program takes her Bulldogs into Norman [cheering] and they shut out Oklahoma 6 nothing. The first time

Oklahoma has been shut out in 25,548 days since the 2019 World Series semiis against Alabama. A nothing [cheering] game here as Ashton Maloney takes a strike. I know that that game just finished and I know that there was plenty of coverage there, but I just want to get [cheering] your reaction to what just happened in Norman. >> H just shocking. and Delaney Everett have yourself a day. Battled through injuries, got the ball, pitched well in the super regional earlier on against OU. And but to shut down that offense [cheering] in Norman is we just haven't seen that in how many days over >> 2548.

I >> I mean, props to her and Mississippi State. So much fight. I I am blown away at that news. And Texas fans, as you mentioned, were excited. Texas players were cheering and kind of jumping up and down as well when that news came in. >> Delaney Ever [cheering] had thrown 12 innings on the year coming into this weekend and shuts out Oklahoma. [applause] [cheering] >> People love to throw the word unbelievable around. Those of us who are literal about vocabulary don't love the word unbelievable. [crying] >> This is enough to even melt a literalist's heart. This one is is really hard to fathom what Mississippi State has done [cheering] here. And congratulations to them as Oklahoma misses the World Series for the first time [cheering] since 2015. Third inning here. We'll start with a Texas hit.

Ashton Maloney [cheering] moved up in the lineup yesterday has responded with a hit in all three games and a leadoff runner on against Kenzie Brown. We've seen just some hitters luck at times in this super regional and this is perfect placement off the bat in Maloney. She has great speed. This is what we've seen from her her entire career at [music] Texas. Good barrel control, put the ball on the ground, find a way to get on to lead off the inning for Texas. >> And if you're just joining us in the Super Regional, getting runners on to lead off innings has not been the issue for Texas.

That ball sliced foul by Kaia Altmire. The Longhorns are just 4 for 27 now with runners on base. There's Mike White who's taken Texas to a super regional for a seventh consecutive time. Texas seven straight supers, the second longest streak in the country, only behind the affforementioned Oklahoma Sooners. Longhorns the national champs a year ago.

[cheering] Almeer behind 0 and two. >> And with Kenzie Brown in the circle, she's going to be more up in the zone. Her rise ball is her most used pitch. She can bring it at 70 m an hour. We have two very good rise ball pitchers that throw 70 71 up in the zone. But what's really set her apart in this month of May when she's just been on fire is her ability to go down with a drop ball at 70 and also with an offspe drop ball too to get hitters to chase.

>> Altmire out of play. >> And something that we learned about Kinsey Brown just yesterday was that she taught herself this offspe drop ball that has been so effective for her. So she's able to change speeds in two different ways. She has a normal change up, but she also has an offspe drop ball down the zone that has this tail down and just falls off the table. A pitch she literally taught herself in [cheering] January. [cheering] >> Almire with four straight foul balls.

Texas had not fouled off the pitch against Brown in the first two innings. A good fight for Kaia Altmire, who's a transfer from Arizona, had seen a few Kenzie Brown pitches and very familiar with this Arizona State team over her first three years. Had a base hit yesterday back in the starting lineup in game three. And Altmire flips one just wide of Mike White for another foul ball. On Thursday when we talked to several of the Texas players, knowing that Ka Almire had had history of course with Arizona State and seeing Kenzie Brown, we asked them, "Has Kia giving you guys any tips?" And they wasted no time to answer. Oh yeah. Right away. That experience always helps, especially against a pitcher like Kenzie Brown who Texas just has [cheering] not seen except for Kaia Almire.

>> And we're seeing her for a 13th inning of the weekend now. Time call to the plate. Almireyer has fouled off the first five pitches >> here in the number eight spot for Texas. >> And Altmire takes one in the dirt. [cheering and applause] >> A lot of respect on the pool side in right field. Look at where Mahia is [cheering] in this big shift over toward the left side where Pond is playing in left center field. I mean, just a really interesting outfield shift. big holes on the grass.

>> He is awfully deep for a player with no home runs. >> Almire had five in each of her previous two years. Does not have a home run this year and around 120 play appearances. Out [cheering] there with the fans in the outfield basically. >> I'm sure being very kind, [cheering] >> I'm sure. Very hospitable. >> Eight pitch coming.

That's a fly ball into shallow left. Akuna [cheering] in that shift makes the catch. Yaya Akuna's got the first out to end an eight pitch battle by Altmire. >> We've just seen Kinsey Brown mix the ball around so well against these Texas hitters. We saw it in her complete game 10 strikeout win in game one. We saw her come in relief and actually lost the lead to Texas late in the game. Vic Hunter hit a pinch hit home run, but she mixes the ball so well with the rise drop, changing speed, just not staying in one place for too long at all.

>> JC Nicholls, freshman, >> shows butt, pulls back on ball one out of the nine spot. >> Well, and she keeps going to her towel, too, trying to keep her hand as dry as possible. It is a very hot day. There is no wind. When we went down on the field, it is humid. We started sweating and we were just standing there on the field. So when you're pitching that can really get to you. >> Foul by Nicholls. One and one.

>> It's a different type of heat here for Arizona. Of course, Arizona is really hot. Triple digits, but here with the way that the weather has been the past couple of days, it's been really humid. More like feeling like Houston instead of Austin. Austin is usually a little bit more dry like Tempe, but it's been very humid here. >> Feels like 91 at the moment. >> A 1-1 to Nicholls [cheering] again. [screaming] The hand up the bat for Bunch again takes the ball. It's two and one.

[cheering] One of the big changes from last year's title team was that Mia Scott graduated. Nicholls, a freshman, replaced her. All tournament team in the SEC tournament run Gavon said she's probably the smartest player on our team. [cheering] Maloney's at first. Nicholls takes strike two. >> And we talked about this lower pitch in the zone. Dean Cavan did not get a couple of them earlier in the game.

Reese Atwood, her catcher is 6 feet tall. The catcher for Kinsey Brown, Sam Swan. She's 5 foot three, so a lower target, easier for the umpire to see down in the zone at the knees. A pitch that both Brown and Cavan like to go to and is important pitch for them. [cheering] [screaming] >> And now Kenzie Brown is walking into the dugout. >> That might be the watches device.

Yeah, >> that Brown uses to get the pitch calls. >> That's right. >> Well, tonight here on ESPN, game three of the Western Conference final as the Golden Knights look to take a three nothing lead on the Colorado Avalanche. 8 Eastern, 7 Central, right here on ESPN and the ESPN app. Vegas won the first two games on the road in the Western Conference Finals. So, two and two now for Nicholls. One on, one out.

and Nicholls a ground ball through the box [cheering] for a base hit. Tried the bunt for four pitches. That didn't work. A soft slap will do just fine. And Texas has two on. >> These at bats are getting good down at the bottom of the order against Kinsey Brown. This is a change up that's left over the heart of the plate. And Nicholls is just able to punch it through, but Nicholls struck out three times against Kinsey Brown in game one. Kaia Altmire's at bat really made her work and so did Nicholls. Texas has a little something going here to turn over the order. [cheering] >> Megan Bartlett had a question for Scott Mir. The plate umpire [cheering] might have had to do with a pitch timer.

Megan was pointing to her wrist. [cheering] quickly resolved and it's twoon one out for Kaden Henry. The Longhorn's leadoff hitter takes a [cheering] strike. [applause] >> Another example of a low pitch. I I really think this is going to be a developing story as this game goes on. Just the lower pitches in the zone that Brown can get because of Swan's height and small target versus Reese Atwood and with Tegan and Kavon. [cheering] >> Another [screaming] low one. couldn't get it there. [applause and cheering] Farther off the plate and it's one and one to Henry who's reached base four out of eight times in this super regional.

[cheering] >> The only Longhorn to start every game at the same position this year. All 58 of him in center [cheering] field. The one-1 pitch. Henry started a bunt and takes ball two. >> This feeling like Texas's at bats are really good in this inning. Ever since I feel like the national broadcast has joined us. Kinsey Brown is it seems like lost some steam a little bit. Really sharp in inning number one. Three up, three down in inning number two. Has a couple of strikeouts but really laboring in this inning.

>> Swing and a miss. She fires back there to even the count. It's >> a big lowrise ball on the outside corner to get that swing and miss. [cheering and applause] >> More pitches here in the third than those first two combined. [cheering] A laborious third inning in this winner take all game three. [applause] [cheering] >> Right down the middle for strike three. Henry frozen on a pitch. Middle away.

And it is a critical third strikeout for Kenzie Brown. >> Brown can locate her rise ball at different levels. You see that backward rotation right at the knees. She can expand the zone up for the chase at the eyes. And she can paint that corner low and away too. And that's what's so tough. That low rise ball can tunnel very well with her change up and her drop ball just froze Kaden Henry despite her hanging out on that outside corner the entire at bat. [music] >> John Bartfell, the decorated pitching coach who came out of his semi-retirement to join Arizona State is out in the circle. Just in case things get squirly, yesterday's starter Mika Lupy, [cheering] who did not allow an earned run in four plus innings, has been working and is in the bullpit.

>> John Barkfeld has [cheering] done such a great job with the pitching staff. This is his first year on staff with ASU, but plenty of experience calling pitches against Texas whenever he was the pitching coach at Oklahoma State. And this is his erra calling pitches with the pitching staffs on both Oklahoma State and ASU. A sub two erra against in 21 and up to this point. One of the best offenses that we've seen over the past five to six years.

>> Well, he and Kenzie are going to have to get it absolutely right. because the SEC player of the year, Katie Stewart, >> stands in the batter's box. [cheering] >> And Stewart on the first pitch, sends one into SHALLOW CENTER. KAYE POND CANNOT MAKE THE CATCH. Here comes Nicholls. The second run scores. [cheering] Katie Stewart drops in a two-run single in front of the very deep pond and Texas strikes first into the third and decisive game of the Super.

>> This went about 150 ft. We're used to seeing Katie Stewart get RBI's on 300 ft home runs. Kaylee [cheering] Pond did everything that she could to make that play. She covers so much ground, [cheering] but especially with two outs, the runners are going to be running. They don't have to hold up. Pond is so good in center field but could not catch that one when Stewart got jammed. [cheering] [applause] >> Vivby Martinez now with a ground ball right. Stewart [cheering] turns the bag at second and takes third. Runners at the corners as Stewart tumbles into the base. Two runs in. Two more out there for Texas. [cheering and applause] >> [cheering] >> The at bats have trended up over the last couple of games against Kenzie Brown.

And Reese Atwood, the all-time home run and RBI leader for the University of Texas, can deliver a real hammer blow. [cheering] >> Atwood ready to rip. Well, and Texas has been so aggressive on the first pitch against [cheering] Kenzie Brown. It's been at about a 60% first pitch swing rate in her start and also in relief. Their [cheering] average on the year first pitch swing is 25%. They've been so aggressive against her.

[cheering and applause] >> Up and in that hitter Atwood is grazed and Atwood is aboard. Hit by a pitch for the fourth time this year. And Texas loads the bases for Leanne Good. >> Well, and that hit by pitch then went right into Swan as well. So, she's feeling it. Megan Bartlett's going to go out and check on her, but it looked like it went right into her throwing arm off of the body of Reese Atwood. And this is [cheering] a major situation for Lean Good, who has struggled in this super regional, but she has a chance to break it open despite striking out five times so far in this two games. [cheering] >> [applause] [cheering] >> Strike one to good. [cheering] [applause] Another low pitch goes the way of Brown and Swan.

Leanne Good just one hit in the NCAA tournament. One for 15. does have a couple of walks [cheering] and she takes strike two. [cheering] >> A senior playing her last game at Mcomes Field, hoping it will not be her last game as a Longhorn. [cheering] >> Ground ball down to third. Sheps at the bag. Texas takes the lead. The SEC player of the year, Katie Stewart, drops one in front of that deep Kaye Pond and the Longhorns strike first.

>> Coach, just saw you addressing your team before they went out on the field. What did you say to them just now? >> We knew this was going to be a hit to win game and we're going to have to just keep putting pressure and battle. The momentum swings have been big all weekend and that one fell their way. KP made a great effort on that ball and just kind of ran out of room and that's elite level softball. So, >> saw coach Barkfeld go out go out there and talk to Kenzie. What have y'all been saying to her throughout the course of this game? >> Just to work efficiently. Um the reality is it's really hot out here and she and Tegan looks like are going to have a long day. So, we're just trying to make sure she's staying in rhythm and spinning the ball.

>> Thank you, coach. [music] Thanks. >> That's Megan Bartlett whose team has certainly had to battle through adversity this year. Heard her talk about that after the game yesterday in a postgame press conference. She said this whole season wasn't sparkles and sunshine, lots of kids playing out of position, lots of injuries, lots of games where they had to lean on their bench. She said they're resilient. They're a feisty bunch and they'll be ready to go. And now they need to push back after Texas took the first two and Tegan Cavan gets a strike on Katie Chester. Well, look, this is a team that's been playing with house money in their words that not expecting to be here or maybe actually they had hopes of Oklahoma City, but nobody expecting them to be here. We're not supposed to be here. They are the underdog in this situation. I mean, you're always the underdog, you know, going up against a team, a program like Texas, but especially because they have the title next to their name as a

defending national champs, you for sure are the underdog, especially as an unseated team, too. >> [cheering] >> Pop it away. Two and one for Katie Chester, who transferred to Arizona State before last year. Transferred here after Arizona State had gone 3 and2 years ago in the conference. [applause] [cheering] >> It's been a heck of a rebuild for Megan Bartlett. This program obviously has such a rich softball tradition that it is hard to think of Arizona State underdog. 12 trips to the World Series, couple of national titles, but the Cub was left pretty bare as it is often when you have a coaching change. Trisha Ford left Arizona State, took over the Texas A&M job. Megan Bartlett leaves here in Austin as an

assistant at Texas after two years. took the Arizona State job. Missed the postseason the first two years. Last year swept in the LA regional [cheering] as that pitcher called a strike to the disbelief of Katie Chester. >> Well, there also had to be disbelief when she took over the job and she didn't have any pitchers or catchers on her roster. That's where they started from at ASU.

>> Popped up by Chester and out of play. She said it was an immediate grab of as much talent as we could to put something on the field. And then the next summer, graduated a bunch of kids, needed a huge portal hall. The third summer she felt like was finally when she got a team together that could compete. [cheering] Started to build that culture which she helped build here at Texas.

3-2 up and in to get Chester swinging. Finally, a strike out for Tegan Cavan on that rise ball up and into a righty >> when she's getting chases and swings and misses on her rise ball. This far out of the zone. You know that Tegan Cavan is in a good place. That rise ball is the pitch. She's going to throw about 70% of the time. She has one of the best rise balls in the country. And maybe, just maybe, for the first time since the opening few batters of game one, it looks like [cheering] Tegan Cavan is settling into a groove.

>> It's starting to look like the pitcher who had a streak of nearly 48 innings in the NCAA tournament without surrendering an earn run. Emily Shet with a high drive to left to try to change that. It's at the wall. IT IS REELED IN. Altire against the [cheering] fence takes away extra bases. They were college teammates at Arizona a year ago and they are the best of enemies right now.

>> And it has been a revolving door for Texas out in left field. Mike White has shuffled around who he has started and finally put Altmire out there for the super regional because of her experience. [cheering] And that looked like an experienced outfield track outfielder tracking that ball down, finding the wall and knowing that she could make it out on that play on her home field. [cheering] >> Flipped into right by Akunia. THERE'S NOBODY THERE. GOOD TRIES TO MAKE A DIVING PLAY and Akuna will end up all the way at third. The ball skips away AND SHE'LL STOP at third. Altmyra to back it up. There was nobody in right field because of the slapper Auna and she ends up with a two out triple.

>> Well, look at where the outfielders were. I I was trying to get this on because of one, two, three, and then who's it here? Nobody. And just a flare ends up going that way to a complete defensive shift and Akunia beats it. Great effort by Good J. [cheering] She gloved that ball. She gave everything that she could to catch this knowing that nobody was going to be there and Akunia with her wheels goes all the way to third base. You talk about beating the ship. That is it right there.

>> Yaya Akuna's first triple of the season. [cheering] your run-of-the-mill triple to second >> tying run Brooklyn. >> You got to answer back right here. If you're Arizona State, you have to find some offensive momentum. They've been quiet late in the game and yesterday when Texas came roaring back and it's why Patty Ruth Taylor is going to go out and talk to Tegan and Kavan understanding the importance of this moment. Runner on third base, two outs.

Texas just scored two runs. You do not want to let ASU grab some momentum here and get back into this game. >> What a wild inning this has been. Shep robbed to the wall by Altmire. Looked like she might have had a home run. The next pitch, a pretty routine shallow pop ends up as a triple. It's only the 14th extra base hit for Akunia in her 4-year and 158 game career.

>> Big moment for Brooklyn Ori here as well, who was a hometown kid, was in the transfer portal, had another offer, wasn't sure what to do because she hadn't yet met Megan Bartlett and the staff. And Bartlett said, "You're gonna be a Sundevil. This is how it started. This is how it's going to finish." met her two days later and she was all in. [cheering] What a moment this is for her. The kid who grew up, Melissa, dreaming of moments like this bleeding maroon and gold [cheering] >> told the Arizona Central, "When I entered the portal, I said, I'm not playing anywhere but Arizona State. I'm going to go play there."

[cheering] kid who had season tickets. She said, right in front of the press box, >> told the paper, "It's met every expectation, every dream." [cheering] She sent Arizona State to the supers with a walk-off grand slam [cheering] and she takes ball three. And once again, we've been on this, Amanda. The low pitches are going Arizona State's way with their 5-3 catcher. Not with reset, with a six-foot catcher for Texas.

[cheering] >> So, Olrich in the driver's seat on 3-1. >> And Brooklyn was actually the last player to leave the dugout last night after the loss because she just wanted to sit in the emotion. So, she was the last to leave, but first this morning to put her uniform on. Got a text at 10:00 a.m. this morning when she went down to breakfast. She was already game ready, the only one to have her uniform on, ready for game three. [cheering] [applause] >> And here she is nearly 7 hours later, still wearing that Sunundevil uniform with pride. 3-2.

It is ball four. No swing according to Matt Dial. [cheering] Atwood wanted the pitch and wanted the swing. She got neither. And Arizona State gets another base runner. >> This is what we're talking about. Developing story going on. Brown is getting these low pitches in the zone. Tegan Kavons maybe just being a little bit too low in the zone. That one did look low to me. Didn't get the check swing call either. But again, Reese Atwood is very tall target. More difficult for a homeplayed umpire to see that low pitch at the knees. But I did actually think that that one was the ball. You think it was a swing?

>> I did not think it was a swing either. >> In that case, job well done by Scott Mayer behind the plate. Matt Dial at third, >> but you could see how bad Reese Atwood in Texas wanted that pitch. [cheering] Of course, trying to pull that pitch up to the knees to help her pitcher. >> Poing back to Cavan in the circle. And that is that for the Sunundevils. Fourth inning squall. [cheering] A shutdown fourth inning for Tegan Cavan. Her Longhorns lead by two. Welcome back to Austin, Texas here with Longhorn's head coach Mike White. Coach, just watching that last inning of work from Tegan. What can she do to get some of those calls in the bottom of the zone?

>> Well, that's a good question. We need to kind of maybe ask him why we're getting not getting them both ways and um it seems like it's not going the other way. But again, I'm from the side. I'm not behind the plate. We got to trust he's calling the right the same way, but we got to work a little bit better maybe behind the plate. >> How does your offense add a little bit more to this inning from what they've done so far? Well, we just continue to focus like when it's tied tied. We can't look ahead and just start counting outs. We got to really play hard and um and be good with our selectors at the plate. >> Thank you, coach. >> Thank you, Hookham. >> Defense has been hit or miss in the outfield for [music] Texas in this super regional. Each one of the outfielders has misplayed a ball. Kaden Henry in game one, a ball hit that would have been a great play, but Mike White [music] expects the outfield to make that play. And this one out in left field as well. And then we That was by Altmire. [music] And then we saw Ashton Maloney who has been a mainstay in right field misplay a ball as well in game one and game two struggled in the outfield.

[music] But this is game three. Season on the line, World Series on the line. Altmire going up to grab that play and robbing Shep of extra bases. >> Something that wasn't always a strength for Texas. You can see 10th in the SEC [cheering] in fielding percentage, but the SEC is really good. They're 36th in the country in fielding percentage. And we've seen Mike White teams that have been well into the bottom half nationally in fielding percentage. They made it a little more of a priority in recent years, [cheering] but a very strong group on the hole this season.

And these fine margins are going the Longhorn's way today. Maybe not some of the pitches at the bottom of the zone that Mike White talked about, but they've got a two nothing lead and a game where the winner advances to the World Series. The final ticket to punch for the Oklahoma City field. And yes, I know there are no tickets that get punched anymore, but we still love the phrase. If you want to say the final ticket to scan, we'll go with that, too. Hannah Wells against Kenzie Brown. And Wells takes ball one.

>> Well, in those defense has been so important in this lowscoring pitchers duel super regional. We saw a lot of highscoring game where just 10-7 or 16-7 or whatever it's going to be. But Emily Shet made an error at third base that cost Arizona State some runs. We saw the outfield play from Texas that cost Texas some runs. So that play by Altmire is so key in this game where the margins are so thin. [cheering] >> Texas with yet another one-run win. four one-run wins in the supers over the last three years, matching Tennessee, who's also got four.

A two-run lead in the fourth inning here for the freshman Wells, who struck out >> and just gets her bat to this one. Grounds out to Shep at third. [applause] [cheering] change up was one of the slowest change ups that I've seen Kinsey Brown throw this weekend, dropping it down to 55 and getting Wells well out in front of that pitch. [cheering] >> 14th inning over the weekend for Kenzie Brown. [crying] >> Ashton Maloney an infield hit.

>> Swing miss. >> [cheering] >> Brown has thrown a first pitch strike to every batter the second time through the lineup. >> The first pitch strikes today 14 out of 16. [cheering] [applause] >> And on the year that first pitch strike percentage is just 55%. So attacking the zone early.

Megan >> Bartlett told us before the game, it's her game. She's an all-American. It is her game to win or lose. [cheering] >> Strike two on Maloney. >> Retired six of the first seven, but Texas has had better at bats [cheering] since then. Longhorns scored only one run in the first 11 innings at a super regional. They have six runs in the last six.

>> Maloney had a hit on a one-tw count earlier. Tries to do so again and Brown wisely lets it roll foul. [cheering and applause] Katie Chester is arguing that maybe she touched the ball that Maloney may have run into the ball in fair territory and Scott Mayer is not buying it. Megan Bartlett wants the umpires to discuss it.

maybe asking too if it hit her back actually. Maybe not her if it hit her bat possibly. It's a lot going on here. Right there. A lot going on right here. Didn't look to me like it it hit either, including not hitting Nasha Maloney. But Katie Chester came up very convinced to tell Megan Bartlett she thought it hit her. >> Now the umpires have decided to let the call stand. So it remains one and two.

Final home game for Ashton Maloney, the fifthear senior from Liberty, Missouri. all SEC player a year ago [cheering] >> and she nearly strikes out. Swan can't hang on to the foul tip. >> Brown had started a roar. >> That's what I was going to say. She had started the Kinsey Brown strikeout roar. [cheering] >> Each team has had a premature strikeout celebration today. >> One and two for Maloney. 248th career game. Has started all but two. 376 career hitter >> gets a piece of another. She can [cheering] be such a tough at bat.

Ashton Maloney, one of the top outfield recruits in the country coming out of high school. Suffered a knee injury and red shirted her first year, has been a four-year starter. [cheering] >> Fifth most games played among active division one players into today. [cheering] two and two. >> The bottom of the lineup has done a nice job for Texas. They they are last night and today five for 11. And and what is also sticking out is not only the amount of hits that they've getting or that they've been getting, just the amount of pitches that they've made Kinsey Brown throw. A lot of long at bats here at the bottom of the order.

>> This will be an 82 Maloney [cheering] and she strikes out. Delayed gratification for Kenzie Brown who gets her fourth [cheering] king. >> Pitching in her first super regional, you would never even know it with how poised she has been in game one and game two and game three. And that's just something to always remember. This Texas team has so much postseason experience and it's something that ASU does not have. This is their first super regional, not as a program, but that many of these players have played in and it's just different. You you step into a super regional, you pitch on the road at a super regional like Kenzie Brown is doing for the first time here against the defending national champs.

It is not an easy task and emotions can quickly get to you. It can feel really big. You can feel the pressure and the expectations, but she has just handled it beautifully. [cheering] >> Only her third ball one to 17 batters. comes back with a low strike to Altmire. [cheering and applause] >> Almighty had an eight pitch at bat her first time. Flight out to left.

[cheering] [cheering] [applause] >> Come on, you got to focus. [cheering] Let's go. >> Sunundevils have the top of the order. Windle, Pond, and Swan [cheering] >> do up in the fifth. Big bats as they have been knocking on the door time and again this game. [cheering] [applause] >> Two and two. [cheering] >> Come on.

First team all-American a year ago, the Big 12 tournament MVP, a first team all Big 12 pitcher. >> Kenzie Brown in the circle. [cheering] This is high and Altmire has run the count full. [cheering] [applause] It's the first three ball count of the game [cheering] for Kenzie Brown. >> [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> The eight hitter Altmire ready for a 3-2 and she takes the first walk of the game. [cheering] >> Longhorns get another base runner in the bottom third.

[cheering] >> [cheering and applause] >> Game one, the Longhorns were one for eight with two outs. Six two out RBI's in game two and three. All six of their runs coming with two outs. Nicholls down to shortstop. All just barely got her. Mike White's looking across the way to see if Nicholls thinks she should challenge.

Mike is going to wander back toward the dugout. No challenge coming. The top of the card doo up for Arizona State in a two nothing game. There will be a third former champion in the field. The winner this series will join Alabama and UCLA at the Women's [music] College World Series. Nebraska and Tennessee have been there a lot. Texas Tech for a second time. All seeking their first title. Jordy, Carlin, and [music] Niga will be in the circle in Arkansas and Mississippi State. Congratulations. Those teams out of the SEC. First time ever to OKC. And how about that statistic popping off the score bug. Does that blow your mind?

2007. It's been almost two decades since we had a World Series without Florida or Oklahoma. both of whom lost decisive game threes today. Oklahoma the first time since 2015 that Patty Gasso's wrecking ball of a program has not been there. They're shut out by Mississippi State and Florida got run today. Speaking of wrecking balls, 16-7 to Texas Tech and what had to be as wild a game as you'll ever see emotionally, offensively in a super regional.

So, one of these teams is going to join them. But what a strange field this is. You only have [applause] two national champs at the moment. Again, the winner of this will be a third. But the two national champions that have made it, UCLA and Alabama, they're going to play each other on day one. >> That is true. That's going to be [applause and cheering] a good one. >> Tanya Tanya Windle leading off here in the fifth and she checks one [cheering] foul. Two and two. Well, we've been saying for a month or two now that it has just felt like this season is wide open for who wants to win a national championship that there's not been a clearcut favorite is like, oh, they they're definitely supposed to win it.

[cheering] >> Maybe it'll be one of these teams without a top 16 national seed. Arizona State still fighting here at the top of the card. Wendell [cheering] chases and misses strike three. And Cavan facing the top of the order for a third time gets a critical strikeout. >> She's been able to get strikeouts on her rise ball and now her drop ball. I mean, that drop ball never was going to be a strike and she gets Wendle to chase it. Great job of Atwood keeping that pitch in front to be able to secure the out at one.

Kaylee Pond now has hit the ball really hard twice, but she's got nothing to show for it. [cheering and applause] >> You hit the ball 65 and up in softball. That's considered a hard hit. Pond's first inning line out was measured at 81 miles per hour. >> Nearly ripped off the glove of Ashton Maloney. She ground it out to first her next time. [cheering] Ground ball to second here. Good with another short hop pick. She's been absolutely nails at second [cheering] in this super regional.

[applause] >> That is not an easy play at all made by Good. She made it look easy. Great glove work getting the short hop. Great read off the bat. What an important second out with the top of the order up in this inning for ASU. >> Means Sam Swan does not represent the tying run. [cheering] Two quick at bats and two ground outs. Swan chases a rise ball.

[cheering and applause] >> They've pictured differently today. And both the games she's had RBI. She has been so hot in the NCAA tournament. Nine RBI's total. She had a couple of one, two count RBIs in game one. [cheering] >> Popped up on the infield. Nicholls ends a one, two, three inning. It took just nine pitches for Kavan to carve up the top of the order. They're up two nothing with six outs to go. [music] The defending national champs >> that Texas Tech had [music] never made the World Series as you said before last year and they're going to face a team that has never made it, Mississippi State. That'll be one of the day one matchups at the World Series. Winner of this game gets Tennessee. The other side, Alabama [music] versus UCLA, Arkansas, and Nebraska. All four of these series ended in sweeps. On the other half of the bracket, three of the four series going to game three, including this one. Kaden Henry against

Kenzie Brown. And Henry chases strike one. So, the winner of this matchup gets the Tennessee Lady Balls in Oklahoma City on Thursday. Game time still to be announced. We have maybe the three biggest name pitchers in the sport depending on if you want to put Tegan Kavanaaugh in that category. She certainly could be after winning the most outstanding player a year ago. Henry's bun is nearly caught by a flailing swan. [cheering] You could have called that a swan dive if you were so keen. It's only two.

[cheering] But think about the stars that have been built up over the last four years. And in the case of Jordy from five with her injury, [cheering] Jordy from back to the World Series with Nebraska. Carllin Pickkins number one pick in the AOSL draft back with Tennessee. Niga Kennedy second pick in the draft. Fourth trip to the World Series. Niga and Jordy have now been there or will have been there with two different teams. And maybe TK and Kavan joins them though. Arizona State's trying to stop that.

But [cheering] we came into this season and said this is the year of the pitcher, the senior pitcher. Star power [music] like we've rarely seen before in this sport. And all three of these players, Amanda, will end their career in Oklahoma City. >> It's going [music and singing] to be so cool to see all three of those faces take the field at the Women's College World Series and end [music] their career on that field. Maybe one of them will win it. >> Ground ball through the middle. Kaden Henry's got a leadoff knock in the Texas fifth. [applause] Henry on base for a second time today.

>> [cheering] >> Do we think the Texas Tech game versus Florida today maybe set a record for pitching changes made in one super regional game? I don't know if we track that, but I >> think [cheering] pitchers being pulled out of the stands at some point was 77 after two. [cheering] Taylor Panel homeed in backto-back innings. Jackie Liss Homerred in backto-back innings. Texas Tech after getting run yesterday rolls the Gator today. Here's Katie Stewart.

>> Has both RBI's in the game. [cheering] [applause] >> They worked her low and away and off speed in her first at bat and actually struck her out. Pitched her really tough, blown away and then went hard in on the first pitch with the rise ball and that's where she got the two RBI. She got jammed but floated it out to the outfield trying to work her hard in. You go in against Katie Stewart, you [cheering] have to go hard in because if you leave it out over the middle of the plate or a ball on the plate, she will punish it to the left side.

>> Well, Kaylee Pawn, you see where she is in center now? She was deeper than that on Stewart's last swing. A little floating two-run single. [cheering] And Pon has made the adjustment. She probably would catch that same ball now. [applause and cheering] But you see a lot of fielders basically go as far as they can to the wall. They'd play in the graduate student housing if they could in left field typically. Katie Stewart has 27 home runs and has broken [cheering] multiple windows on that graduate student housing building in left field.

[cheering and applause] >> One two from Kenzie Brown tour. Well, it's the difference in the game right now that Kaylee Pond was unable to make that play in the outfield. Hit off of her glove. It would have been a great play, but she had a chance to make a play on that ball off of Stewart's bat. And then again, you turn it around for Altmire in left field. Made the great play in the outfield. [cheering] >> A junior from Illinois ready for a 2-2.

>> It's way up high and it's three and two on Stewart. [cheering] >> [applause] [applause] [cheering] [cheering] >> Henry at first. Nobody out in the fifth. [cheering] [applause] >> [cheering] >> Katie Stewart has talked this year about her mental approach being better. She's been calmer at the plate, not as worried about stats and results. She knew her mental game needed to get better coming into this year and she has worked hard on it through her junior season.

>> [cheering] >> ready for another 3-2 and she takes strike three [cheering] right around the corner and Brown's fifth strike out. A big one to keep Stewart off base. >> Kindy Brown is still able to get underneath that outside pitch. Looks like a curve ball. Could be a lowrise ball there on the outer corner of the plate, but again she gets the lower half of the zone and gets the corner against a home run hitter in Stewart. strikes out Stewart for a second time. Here is Viviana Martinez, who's seen only three pitches and [cheering] hits the fourth one she sees just out of play.

The big difference for Texas this year versus last is they have Vivy Martinez back. She missed last year due to a knee injury. She said the hardest part about returning was the high expectation she had for herself. And it was frustrating to compare herself to two years ago. Had to take time to build up and get healthy. Had to learn to let go of expectations. But she has looked every bit the part. Slid right back into the middle of the order at the end of the season. Remember, she set a freshman RBI record in 2023 as a two-time all Big 12 player who hit 397 in the SEC this year.

>> Martinez [cheering] >> Tegan Cavan told us that last year Vivy was the best at being everyone's biggest fan while she was rehabbing. She said now she's still everyone's biggest cheerleader. She just gets to contribute, too. So we get to cheer for her just as much. >> A sweet swinging shortstop who has brought the energy on and off the field. [cheering] >> Her dad, Victor, was in the Mariners minor leagues for six years. Pro baseball player.

And Vivy said that's where her smooth swing comes from. [cheering and applause] >> Two in, two to Martinez. Henry still at first. >> Yeah, it's hard to think back to last season, Kevin, and the fact that Vivy Martinez was not on the field at shortstop for Texas when they won a national championship. Such a pivotal part of their offensive lineup, of course, what she's able to do defensively and the range that she has and they still won it all [cheering] >> despite that.

[applause] [cheering] >> Going to see a six pitch here from Kenzie Brown. >> [cheering] >> gets a piece. This ball squibbed on the line. It's going to sit on the line and then roll foul. And a good thing it did because Kaden Henry was making a beline for home. [cheering] [applause] >> That was >> that's hitting on 17 right there. >> A centimeter away. Kaden Henry did not stop. Nobody was covering home. So, while ASU was watching and hoping that this ball was going to roll foul, look at Kaden Henry. She motors on over to second. She keeps going to third. Nobody is covering home right now. Kenzie Brown and Swan are right there. Home is wide open. If that would have been a fair ball, it would have been a run for Texas. Easy. [cheering] [applause] >> Instead, a seventh pitch to Martinez.

[cheering and applause] These are just such better at bats off of Kinsey Brown than in game one. In game one, they were some pretty quick outs in that complete game that Kinsey Brown threw. She only threw 94 pitches in game one. She's already at 84 here in the bottom of the fifth. [cheering] >> They fouled off nine pitches in the inning. The three Texas hitters [cheering] >> and Martinez makes it 10.

Think about how long Vivy Martinez has been on the scene. [applause and cheering] She committed to Mike White when he was still the coach at Oregon. Such a young commit at the time. Mike White now in his eighth year at Texas. Maybe in her fourth year at Texas. Changed her commitment. Mike White changed teams. She's going to see a ninth pitch here. [cheering] Two and two from Brown. It remains.

And two and two. It will remain. >> Kindy Brown's getting frustrated. You can see it with her body language as Vivia is just continuing to spoil these pitches. The [cheering] foul ball before she had kind of fisted her glove with her pitching hand. Like, oh, it was so close to getting her out there. Another one spoiled. They really making her work under this hot Texas heat. [cheering] >> So humid. >> Seen nine pitches. Fouled off seven this at bat. Another 2-2. The 10th pitch coming.

fouled off again. [cheering and applause] >> What is it like as a pitcher, not just to labor in an at bat like this, but on a day like [cheering] this feels like 90 plus >> so frustrating and just mentally you're trying to stay in it. You don't want to make a mistake. You're trying to figure out what you can throw to get her out this time. What can miss a barrel? I like to see her go up and in on the hands. [cheering and applause] down and away instead.

>> She was trying to get there though. I think that was supposed to be a rise ball that was further up. It just missed a little bit low. >> Still where you want to go if you're Brown. >> Bring that same pitch back to her, but just in the spot that it's supposed to be. Rise ball up and in on the hands. Debie has such quick hands though on the inner half. In has to [cheering] be in. >> Seven straight foul balls. >> [applause and cheering] >> Another one.

[cheering] [applause] >> You're going to run out of phone battery if you keep recording this at bat, my friend. [applause and cheering] Eight two strike foul balls. Eight pitches in a row fouled away. [applause] >> [cheering] >> Pitch number 13 on the way. >> It's high.

[cheering and applause] [applause] [cheering] Come on. They're on their feet in burnt orange here at Mcomes for the 14 pitch to Martinez fouled away again. >> So frustrating if you're Kinsey Brown and if you're Vivy Martinez, you are hanging on by a thread with a lot of these foul balls.

[cheering] [applause] >> 15th pitch of this at [cheering] bat. We've had plenty of innings shorter than this at bat. Kenzie Brown threw 18 pitches in the [cheering] first two innings. Her 15th to Martinez alone, swinging a foul ball. This is insane. [cheering] [applause] 10 two strike foul balls. [cheering and applause] >> I try to go low and in with the drop ball at this point. [cheering] >> [applause] >> Pitch number 16. I think [cheering] >> she's covering the outer half. I mean, she's covering just about [cheering] everything. But I do feel like the one pitch we haven't seen is a 68 mph drop ball inside to Vivy. We've seen the rise ball in the outer half. We've seen a change up

inside. Rise ball out of the zone. Goodness. [cheering] >> Why hasn't she tried to throw that? >> I don't know. Maybe we'll see it here. >> [cheering] >> The 17th pitch of this epic, epic battle. >> Fear down the LINE AND RIGHT. HENRY BLAZING TO THIRD. HENRY ON THE WAY HOME. MARTINEZ HEADING FOR THIRD where she is safe. [cheering] VIVIE MARTINEZ WINS the Austin Marathon.

[cheering and applause] A 17 PITCH TRIPLE. It's 3 nothing. [cheering] [applause] This is just a prime example of Texas fight within and at bat by Martinez. Gets an offspe pitch. That was 60 m an hour more up in the zone and Vivy just hammers it 73 m an hour off the bat. It finds a hole and it just rolls. An RBI, a triple. My goodness. That got the crowd involved in that one. They were all pulling for her and made Kenzie Brown just absolutely [cheering] work up to 93 pitches. Now, [applause] [cheering] >> you watch this sport because every game you can see [cheering] something you've never seen before. And if any of you have ever seen a 17 pitch atbat end in a triple, we'd really like to hear about

it. >> Viviana Martinez's first triple since game three of the Super Regionals in 2024. [cheering] And Kenzie Brown departs maybe for the final time. The all-American at Arizona State will turn it over to Mika Lupy in a three nothing game. After that 17 pitch marathon at bat, Kenzie Brown runs out of gas here in the fifth. Mika Loopy comes on. One unearned run only in four plus innings yesterday. And she'll face Reese Atwood with Martinez at third. Try to keep this a three-run game. And Maloopy has gotten a lot of experience here late in the season being a very strong number two pitcher behind Kinsey Brown. They've thrown her in the Big 12 tournament. They threw her in the College Station regional as well on Sunday against Texas A&M. She got the start to go for the win to get

[cheering] here to supers. [cheering] >> Reese Atwood gets jammed and fouls 108. is trying to follow a 17 pitch at bat with one pitch at bat. [cheering] >> Incredible stuff from Vivy Martinez. 17 pitches to her. We've had nine previous half innings in the game. Five of those nine half innings were less than 17 pitches. And one of them was exactly 17.

>> A 17 pitch at bat ends in a triple. That [cheering and applause] has to be one of the best at bats I've ever seen. Postseason, regular season, conference, it doesn't matter. One of the best at bats I have ever seen. [cheering] >> I think everybody who's here and everybody who's watching will probably agree with you. >> And the player who missed all of last year as well, Atwood to the first base dugout. It's one and two.

>> Well, now Mikalupi is going to come in and just give a different look than what Kenzie Brown did. She's going to be more down the zone. Curve ball and drop ball are her best pitches. Throws with good velocity. 68 69 70 m an hour, but she's much more down in the zone than what you saw from Brown. [cheering] >> Swing and a miss. She gets Atwood. She goes up in the zone there Reese off balance as Lupy picks up a critical second out.

[cheering] >> Remember, this is still a great Arizona State offense. 99 home runs are tied for the second most in Sunundevil history. Seven runs a game, 20th in the country. [cheering] >> They only have six outs left, but three runs obviously a very manageable task for them. So if Lupy can keep it at three, it'll [cheering] feel like a win for ASU. Leanne Good 0 for two in the game. 0 for eight [cheering and screaming] with a walk in the supers >> and a strike one and one.

>> And we know and we've seen this postseason that no lead is big enough. So that's another reason that that Vivby Martinez at bat was so important because it led to a Texas run and against these big offenses, explosive offenses [cheering] we've seen all across the country, you're just never out of a game. They're thinking [cheering] about a two out bunt trying. [applause] >> You mean on a day where we saw a 16-7 game, you don't think any lead is big enough >> by the same team that had a eightun comeback in regionals with two outs in the seventh inning? Yeah, no elite's big enough for sure.

>> UCLA 200 plus home runs on the year. They scored 14 yesterday. These two teams can swing it. [cheering] >> It's just been a series that's been largely dominated by the pitching. [cheering] But things can change in an Austin minute. >> Swing and a miss by Good. [cheering] >> Loopy carving here out of the bullpen. She struck out Atwood. She's got a two and two count on Good.

And Mike White's coming down to talk to Leang Good, >> which we saw him do with Reese Atwood as well in yesterday's game. Texas was down. Reys Atwood was up to bat. She was pressing a little bit. You could see it in her shoulders. She got down to a one-tw count and then after the Mike White timeout just like this, Reese Atwood had an RBI that was able to tie up the game. >> We asked Mike before today's game what he said to Reese and [cheering] he said it really wasn't much. Just wanted her to relax, wanted her not to make too much of the moment. [cheering] You see Mike had a smile on his face as he tried to loosen up Greece. It worked. We'll see if his words of wisdom ring true for good. A good swing off there.

[cheering and applause] >> Texas has now fouled off 20 pitches in this inning. They've had five batters and they fouled off 20 pitches. >> Good in the air right center field and Mia comes on to make the catch. [cheering] Vivy Martinez with the atbat maybe of all of the Super Regionals across college. Your triple makes it three nothing.

Four days away from returning to Oklahoma City and the Women's College World Series where Texas will look to defend its title if they can finish this game off. It all begins Thursday at noon Eastern, 11:00 [music] a.m. Central live on ESPN right there at wonderful Devon Park. For more information on the 2026 Women's College World Series, visit NCAA.com, the official home for all NCAA championships. That little girl, a Texas fan, says, "One day I'll be on this field." How wonderful is that?

>> That's looks like it's the back of her being at the Women's College World Series. I mean, maybe one day she'll be at this field and then that field. >> Fouled almost right back to the boot by Ashley Mahia. Arizona State is trying to get back to that field. Only six teams, six programs have been to the World Series, more than Arizona State. 12 trips, none since 2018. They have six outs to save their season. Tegan Cavan against the cleanup hitter Ashley Mahia.

>> How do you think Cavan >> spent the last nearly half hour, man? Because that's her first pitch in 26 minutes. >> Yeah, it's been a while. I was wondering if she had gone down there to throw. It's hard to see at the bullpen or hard to see what like what's going on in the bullpen, but it's a a warm day. She thrown a lot of pitches in the month of May. I'm sure she stayed pretty warm even if she did not throw any pitches in the bullpen. >> At what point during that inning do you start to throw more for a pitcher?

>> Probably at pitch number 12 of Vivy's at bat. >> 12 out of 17. [laughter] [cheering] and he is 0 for two and Mia takes strike two. >> It's going to be up to Arizona State in these last six outs that they're working with to not chase. You see a pitch around the zone like that last one that Mahia just took in a hitter's count to put a swing on it. They've been chasing more as this game has gone on with two strikes. >> Sophomore Sundevil Mahia ground one foul.

[applause] Katie Chester and Emily Shep, two juniors to follow. Arizona State won the opening game 4-1, led two nothing going into the fifth inning yesterday. From that point forward, Texas has outscored them seven to one. [cheering] Only Sam Swan solo homer in the last nine innings for ASU. >> Tegan's 2-2 and Mahia puts it in the air to shallow left at Altmeer. One out in the six. [cheering] [applause] >> It is amazing that we just continue to see these comebacks for Tegan and Kavan.

There's even been several times this season where she started a game, got pulled, and then came back to come in in relief and looked like a completely different pitcher. And with the way that she has pitched in game three here today, she has been sharper. She has been locked in much better than in game one and game two. Off the end of the bat of Chester to second. [cheering] Good is there and Chester is retired. >> The top five hitters in the Arizona State lineup are a combined one for 15.

The one was a Tanya Windle single to start the game. >> And Arizona State remember before yesterday's game was on a 10ame win streak. I think that they were riding the highs and the momentum and they had just had some comebacks and scored a lot of runs. But you could really feel them be deflated late in the game against Texas yesterday. And I [cheering] kind of feel like that's carried into today's game. And this is when experience is such a big thing to have.

Game three super regional going up against a team that has a ton of it. And you just have never experienced it yourself here before. A strike on Shep [cheering] Ti Cavan on the World Series all tournament team as a freshman. The World Series most outstanding player last year. Six games, six wins. No earned runs allowed at the World Series last year. Gets a ground ball to third. It backs up Nicholls. Her high throw pulls Stewart off the bag.

[cheering and applause] A miscue on the infield for Texas. JC Nicholls with a high throw and her counterpart Emily Shep reaches with two down. >> Tough hop for Nicholls to decide which one she wanted to play and then she knew she was going to have to rush that throw a little bit cuz that ball, that ground ball took a little extra time to get to her and maybe slipped out of her hand on a hot, sweaty day like this. But does that open the door for ASU here?

Kaban had retired the last six. Now Akuna Akunia had seen two pitches and had two hits. >> Had a single to left and that crazy popup triple to right. And Texas plays her pretty much straight up this time. >> Yeah. And her first at bat or excuse me her [applause] last at bat in the fourth inning. Texas had a big shift. Right field was completely open and she just blooped one over there and got herself to third base.

[cheering] One of seven seniors for the Sunundevils. Yanika Akuna, [applause and cheering] senior from Tucson whose older sister Yaniraa used an extra year of eligibility [cheering] to play with Yiana in 2023. [applause] and a younger Akuna ending this long run of Sundevil softball for these sisters [applause] [cheering] wanting to extend her career.

>> Good idea, >> keep the family name going. If she reaches, [cheering] she'd bring up Brooklyn, another Arizona kid, as the tying run. [applause and cheering] It'll be a 2-2 from Tegan Cavan. [applause] >> [cheering] >> It's popped up. Foul. [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> One of their best power hitters. Ori awaits [applause] as Arizona State still have some spark in their bats. [cheering] Akuna lifts one to the right side. That ball will land foul off the glove of Stewart.

>> It's pretty much an exact replica of what her triple looked like except it landed just barely fair and out of the reach of Leanne Good. And that one was just barely foul. But if you're wondering what her triple looked like, it looked like that except the outfield was completely shifted toward the left side. [cheering] Where you go here if you're Cavon >> blowing away with her rise ball [applause] [cheering] >> or up and in. You know, complete opposite. But what makes Tegan Gavon's rise ball so good is her ability to throw it in the four different quadrants. When you think rise ball, maybe it's just a fan is watching this game and you just don't watch that much.

Maybe you think of a rise ball only at eye high or above a hitter's head. ood. Tegan Kavine can throw her rise ball at each of the four different quadrants in the zone and get a swing and miss. [cheering] [applause] >> Overshot that one. It's three and two for Couna. One more of those and Arizona State will bring up the tying run. [applause] [cheering] These scrappy, scruffy, sparky Sunundevils. Not a tournament lock a few weeks ago. now oh so close to the World Series. 3-2 Akuna fouls it away [cheering] >> and Yaya Akuna is going to work her at bat in the double digit pitches.

She will see a 10th from Tegan Cavant. [cheering and applause] >> Four hard earned outs to get for Texas. [applause] [cheering] A 3-2 coming [applause] >> off the fist to second. Good with a flip. Just barely in time. [cheering] Went the short way to get Shep and end the Arizona State threat. Still three nothing to the bottom of the sixth. They may be an SEC team at, but what an underdog story this is. First time ever an Oklahoma shutout for the first time in seven years. That's right. [cheering] 7 years, 25,548 days since Oklahoma was last shut out.

And it happens against a pitcher, Delaney Everett, who came into this weekend having pitched 12 innings on the year. Throws her first complete game today. [cheering] And if folks saw what happened at the end of the game, Delaney Everett, who said it was her parents' anniversary today, and her father had passed away before the start of last season. [cheering] She had shoulder surgery in December.

You can't even dream this kind of stuff. And that's what college softball has brought us this year. Congratulations to Delaney. You know, we looked at the game today and we're going, "All right, is it going to be Pasia Gould? Mhm. >> For Elizabeth Faircloth, two all-American potentials. Sam Ricketts had other ideas and the stars were aligned for Delaney Everett to deliver the game of her life in the biggest win in the history of Mississippi State softball. Anna Wells a bouncing ball. Chip can play the short hop. And Wells is aboard to start the [cheering] Texas sixth with the Longhorns on the verge of a return trip to the World Series. [cheering] Tough ball to handle, but it's just a play that needs to be made, especially at this point in the game. More of a short hop. Remember, Emily Chef is a catcher by design, but moving over there because of injuries, then shuffling around the infield for Arizona State.

Been [cheering] a team that has had a lot of adversities when it's come to injuries this season. And Shep, not an everyday third baseman before entering this season. Ado Wallace replaces her as a pinch runner. Wells [cheering] >> that goes down as an E5. Second error by Shep in the Super Regional. Ashton Maloney out of play. Nikaloopy pitching for Arizona State. Kenzie Brown, four and a third, six hits, three earned, walked one, struck out five. And Brown's day ended after a 17 patch at bat. 17 pitch at bat with Viviana Martinez, [cheering] which finished off with an RBI triple.

>> Was one of the longest at bats in the country. In fact, the fifth at bbat in all of division 1 this season to go 17 pitches or more and the only atbat in the country to go 17 plus pitches and end in a hit. >> It's so good. >> Preposterous. Preposterous. Thanks to our research team for digging out that gem. >> Slapped into left by Maloney. That's an out. [cheering] Well, that's just an example to me of Texas's at bats today. They have really made the pitchers for Arizona State work and they've scraped across three runs that just feel like eight runs at this point in the game with Arizona State's batch just going really quiet. And there this has been now eight innings that they have not scored. And the last time that there were eight or more innings for Arizona State's offense to go scoreless goes back to the Texas Tech series at the end of April. So on this run, this win streak that they've been

on, all on the road, by the way, after that Texas Tech series, they were all on the road for their last Big 12 series and then the Big 12 tournament and then regionals. And now here, their offense has absolutely been on fire, but it has gone cold here in the Super. >> Ka Altmire lines one to the left side and fair. [cheering] Wallace, the pinch runner, up to second on a base hit by Alt Meyer.

She's been a spark plug since being inserted into the lineup yesterday. She's been on base twice today. And the Longhorns have a rally cooking. >> And look at her stay on this outside pitch. Gets her barrel up to it and just stays on top of it. This is a pitch that is left up. Maloopy more down in the zone type pitcher with her drop in curve. And Alt Meyer loving that she sees one more up in the zone. Line drive to the left side. She struck that well.

>> Michael White's going to use a pinch hitter, not the one from yesterday. They'll keep Vic Hunter on the bench with the lead and let Katie Bennett bat for JC Nichols. [cheering] >> Senior with only her second at bat of the NCAA tournament. Struck out the regional round. >> Was a starter last year on the title team. >> [cheering and applause] >> Nicholls went one for two.

>> Then at bats for her trying to extend this three nothing Longhorn lead. >> Strike two from Loopy. [cheering] [applause] >> Texas hosting a super regional for the seventh time. and they've advanced to the World Series in five of the first six appearances as a super regional host. The only time they hosted and didn't advance, they were eliminated by Mike White's Oregon Ducks in 2012.

Strike three called and the pitch hitter Bennett is down looking. [cheering] Getting every single inch and then some off this outside corner. Loopy is B then it takes that thing. It's going to be a ball off the plate and Loopy gets the call again. Swan has been working the lower part of the zone for both Brown and Loopy. She's been a great receiver. >> First pitch swing by Henry.

[cheering] Arizona State will have Olrich Hoing and Wendell. 891. It's a pretty good 89 coming up. [cheering] Kaylee Pond the six-year senior hoping for one more at bat. And then Sam Swan after that. Another low strike. It's 0 and2. [cheering] And it will be Tegan Cavan, World Series most outstanding player from a year ago at trying to send Texas right back there.

[cheering] One more spot left to fill in the World Series bracket. >> A bracket peppered with SEC teams. And another one is in the driver's seat. [cheering] >> [cheering and applause] [cheering] >> Four SEC teams in the World Series right now. Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State for the first time.

[cheering] Two from the Big 10, Nebraska, UCLA, one from the Big 12, Texas Tech. And it'll be Big 12 or SEC here. to the Big 12 tournament champs in Arizona State trying to make it for the 13th time. The SEC tournament champs in Texas trying to make it for a ninth time for a third straight year and trying to defend their champ in OKC. >> Another 02 for Henry. [cheering and applause] >> Again, just thinking about how tough it is to lose game one and win a super regional. And that's been the history here at Texas of going down in game one under Mike White. He has never won a game one here as the head coach at Texas. [cheering] >> Henry Squiver. Oh, she runs so well.

There's going to be [cheering] no chance for Luffy. Infield single for Henry, who's been on three out of four times. [cheering] And Texas loads the bases for Katie Stewart. [applause] I'd >> call a timeout here if I was ASU to make sure 100% we were on the same page or coaching is going to come talk to Lupy, but 3 0 is one thing [cheering] against Texas heading into the seventh. It could quickly be 70.

>> Beyond deck hitter is a potential run rule. I mean, I know it's 3 nothing, but [cheering] the margins are that thin. First pitch, Katie to right center field. SHE BLISTERED IT DOWN for a hit in front of Mayheia. Two more score. Four RBI's for Stewart. And Texas has some big time breathing room. [cheering] [cheering and applause] >> And all four of Katie Stewart's RBI's have come off of a first pitch swing trying to work her on the inner half and it's just not in enough. She stayed inside of that. so well. Her other one, she got jammed for a couple of RBI's, but this one was 75 mph off the bat.

That's a couple of big time insurance runs and exactly what Texas needed here late in this game. >> Now, a Martinez home run would end the game and end the Super Regional. >> Mike White is, I think, going to take a timeout here to make a substitution. He will pinch run for Katie Stewart. >> [cheering] >> and Katie will head to the dugout to a hero's welcome. [cheering] >> Four RBI's as you mentioned on first pitch swings and even yesterday her RBI double was a first pitch swing. So all five ribbies first pitch rips for Stewart >> who's got 72 RBI's in 58 games.

[applause and cheering] 10 to Viviana Martinez, [cheering] >> bench runner Taylor Anderson at first for Stewart. [cheering] >> It just really feels like Kevin that pinch hit two-run home run by Vic Hunter was such a big blow for Arizona State to take. I just don't feel like they've been able to come back from that swing.

>> [cheering] >> There goes Anderson to second. She'll take a steal [cheering] >> from the moment that ball left Kenzie Brown's hand. That pinch hit a home run you're talking about for Hunter. Texas has scored the last seven runs. [cheering] >> Maybe get a check to see if she left early here. Arizona State is challenging that the possibility the runner left early at first base on the pitch is now under review.

>> Nothing to lose with this challenge try here. [cheering] First challenge of the game for either team. >> We'll see if Taylor Anderson, the pinch runner, >> left [cheering] before Maloopy released the pitch. >> [cheering] >> It's >> beyond time to me. >> Perfect. You can see there the ball left her hand and her toe is still on the base. Great timing actually with that lead.

So remember, Viviana Martinez, who has three home runs this year, can end the Super Regional. She hits a home run, it's an eight- nothing lead. It's an eight-run lead after the fifth inning. And Texas can walk off to Oklahoma City. If not, Tegan Kavan will come back out for the top of the seventh and look to complete the shut out. Kenzie Brown only a spectator at this point.

>> After review, the runner at first base did not leave early. [cheering] This is call is confirmed and this is Arizona State's first challenge. [cheering] [applause] [applause] >> [cheering] >> We've had four of the seven teams run rule their way to the World Series. Can Texas make it five out of eight? [cheering] Two and one for Martinez. Ree Atwood would be next.

[cheering] And she started to swing. She did not. And she did not get a piece of the ball either. So it's three and one. >> Megan Bartley I think is asking if that was a foul tip. [cheering] Scott Mary has no interest in that discussion. [cheering] >> So three and one to Vivy Martinez off that 17 pitch RBI triple and she will take ball four. [cheering] And now the winning run is at first. And Reese Atwood in what will surely be, her final at bat at Mcomes Field has a chance to do something truly special. [cheering] [cheering] >> So many memorable moments for Reese Atwood over the years here on the 40 acres.

Walk-off hits and big swings galore. [cheering] >> First pitch is up and away off the glove of Swan and the runners will hold. [cheering] >> Career at Mcomes Field, [cheering] four walk-off hits, and 38 of Reese Atwood's 73 career home runs. Nobody in the history of this program has hit more homers or driven in more runs than Reese Atwood. [cheering] And it was her RBI on an attempted intentional walk against Niga Kennedy that gave Texas the win in the champ series game one last year. Atwood swings away and fouls off a strike after Katie Chester came in for a chat with Mika Lupy. Well, Reys Atwood to me seems like the type of player that is well aware that this is going to be the looking like the last time she's going to step into this box here at this home field.

Always soaking it up, wanting to make the most of this AB. [cheering] >> One-1 pitch on the ground and foul. It's one and two. [cheering] [applause] She told us a couple of years ago she's only ever played catcher because in her words, "I can't really field a ground ball." Was not a huge recruit. Studied Aubrey Monroe. Studied Brian McCann, the longtime Atlanta Braves catcher. Texas, the first major division one school to show interest.

Grew up a ranch kid here in the state. Dreaming of playing for the Longhorns. A one-two for her. on the ground to second base [cheering] and that will end the inning. There will be no run rule for Texas here, but the Longhorns are three outs away from a return engagement at the [music] World Series and it's time for today's Capital One rewarding performance. Well, it's got to be Tegan Kavon. [music] And she has had a lot of these rewarding performances in the postseason for Texas with [music] the way that she just continues to spin these pitches up and down in the zone.

They needed her to [music] step up and get a quality start. Her best start of the Super Regional is right here on game or in game three with a season and OKC on the line. >> Five innings, four runs on Friday. two innings, two runs yesterday, six innings, [cheering] no runs today. Three outs from the World Series. Gavan gets a strike on Brooklyn, one of two seniors guaranteed to bat in the inning for Arizona State. A sophomore, Thiate Hoing is next. Then a senior in Tanya Wendell.

This is one of those kids in Brooklyn who grew up dreaming of Sunundevil softball. Her fifth and final college year has led her here across the country from Mesa to Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia for four years. Seven games, one plate appearance as a freshman in a mid- major school. And in her final year, a big time contributor, power hitter, and defender for Arizona State. [applause] A pop up from Alrich toward the line and into the glove of Martinez. One away in the seventh.

>> [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> What a strange feeling this must be for Megan Bartlett who was last on this field as an assistant four years ago. A Texas team that did not have a national seed and stormed their way to the champ series. [cheering] That helped get her this job. Ho Cheng is hit by a pitch from [cheering] Cavan and Arizona State gets a one-out base runner.

>> You think about Megan Bartlett in this series going against Mike White, a coach who she said changed her life, who >> plucked her out of a head coaching job at Ball State as a head coach at a low major school. [cheering] Ground ball foul here from Tanya Windle. >> This is the photo that Megan Bartlett shared with us that she texted Mike White. That was her. Mike White. Steve Singleton who was a Texas assistant is just off to the side. That was in Seattle when they started this crazy run in 2022 to the regionals in Washington.

Texted him that this week with some words of love for Mike White. [cheering and applause] >> He responded. They have a wonderful relationship, those two. And she said, "When [cheering] you come to Austin, they tell you, >> you're going to compete for national championships as an assistant >> and then they're going to send you off." And that's exactly what happened. [applause] >> Out of plate from Wendell, still 0 and2.

Well, and she was well aware what how difficult of a task that this was going to be coming into Austin playing against the defending national champs, the number two overall national seed. And ASU just offensively has just run out of gas, but I mean they still have a couple of outs to play with and no lead is too big is too big here. A >> senior from Peoria, Tanya Wendell, [cheering] >> told the Speak of the Devils Arizona State podcast >> [cheering] >> that when she went to Utah Tech, she had a whiteboard and she would write down how many days until I can go to ASU. She put her name in the portal. She got an email at 7 a.m. from Arizona State and she fell to the floor crying.

[cheering] 02 for her. Wind strikes out. [cheering] [applause] >> Could be the end of an incredible decorated career for her. And Arizona State has an out left in its season. [applause and cheering] [cheering] >> It's going to be a sixth year senior [applause] in Kaylee Pond, [cheering] kid who's been through three torn ACLs.

[applause] >> [cheering] [applause] >> one and all from Kamad. [cheering] >> Strike one. [applause] The senior class is always going to be remembered as the class that got Arizona State back on track, back one win away from the Women's College World Series.

Be so proud of what they've invested into this program to get them back here. [cheering] >> Khan rips it out of play [applause] and there is one strike left in this magical Sundevils run. [cheering and applause] One strike left for that [applause] return trip for Texas. That five and a half hour drive north that they know so well. [applause and cheering] The 100th pitch for Cavan is grounded through the right side and Kaye Pond, the sixthyear senior, picks up a base hit to keep Sunundevil hopes alive. [cheering] >> Well, and they should feel alive with the home run hitters now coming up to the plate again. And they have one out to play with and Swan has been their hottest hitter in the NCAA tournament.

He's not going to make it easy on Ticking Cavan. Of course, they're going to show some fight here. Middle of the order coming up. This is a team that has hit 99 home runs as a team. >> Cory Shaw, a pinch runner out at second. Satwood wants one more conversation with Ta Cavan. [cheering] [applause] >> And for a moment there, it looked like Samantha Swan's home run in the fifth inning might be the swing we remember from this series last night gave Arizona State a 3-2 lead. [cheering] They have not scored since.

[applause] And Swan, [cheering] who drove in five runs in the first two games, went four for six with a walk, is hitless today. [cheering] 0 and one from Cavan to Swan. Popped up. Atwood searching. Atwood cannot make the catch. [cheering] [applause] >> Another reprieve for Arizona State. >> But once again, they have just one strike to play with. Here's [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] the O2.

>> They are just not going to go down easy, are they? >> The first team ever to beat the top three seeds to win the Big 12 tournament. swept through Texas A&M in the College Station Regional. Took game one here in Austin. [applause and cheering] Another 02 from Tegan Cavan on the ground and foul. [cheering] >> Do not let Swan's size fool you either.

Standing at just 53, one of the strongest players on this team. [applause and cheering] Lot of pop in her bat. 12 home runs in the season. >> A lot of family in the stands from just up the road in Georgetown, Texas, trying to keep the season alive. Swan pops it up. Foul ground. Out of play again. [cheering] >> [cheering] >> She's fouled off three straight pitches after falling behind 0 and two.

[cheering] Texas on the brink. The sixth pitch to Swan. [cheering] It's popped up to third and the Texas Longhorns will defend their title at the World Series. [cheering] >> [cheering] >> For the third straight year, Texas will play at the Women's College World Series.

The freshman JC Nicholls squeeze the final out as Tegan Kavan and Texas have a date with Tennessee Thursday and they will head a few hours up the road, five and a half to be specific. A chance to go back-to back awaits in Oklahoma City. >> Well, and they absolutely of course wanted that chance to defend their title. Their motto this year, allin 626. That is the number of miles it is from right here at this field to Devon Park and Oklahoma City. Last year was fuel fuel the fire. This year all in 626 wanting a chance to get back there and do it again.

Tik Cavan, [cheering] the most outstanding player at the World Series last year, is going to have a chance to do it again. She shuts out Arizona State. [cheering] >> Her 14th career postseason win. And Tegan Kavan is with Alyssa Lang. >> Tegan, three days, two wins. You're heading to Oklahoma City. How did you settle in throughout the course of the weekend? Uh my teammates and my coaches told me they believed in me every step of the way. And so I knew everybody in the bullpen and everyone in the dugout was going to have my back no matter what the outcome was. And so uh I owe it to them. Yeah.

>> Speaking of your dugout, you told us that Vivy Martinez is everyone's biggest cheerleader. When she went through that 17 pitch at bat, what did that do for your team? >> Oh my gosh. I think that sealed the deal right there. I mean, are you kidding me? That's incredible. Special players do that and she's special. >> When it comes to Reese, you've spent a lot of time with her. This was her last game here on this home field. What did it mean for you guys to get this win for her and the rest of your seniors? >> It means the world. She deserves to end her season and end her college career in Oklahoma City. Uh so it just means the world. I called that last time out because I wanted one last with her on this field and so she's my best friend and she deserves the world. What' you say to her in that last time out?

>> I just told her I wanted one more with her and so uh just one more moment to soak it in on this field with her. >> You have an opportunity now to go win another national championship. What did you learn from that run last year that you can take to Oklahoma City here in a few days? >> That we're resilient. That we're going to do whatever it takes. It showed last supers. It showed this supers. We're resilient. We Yeah. >> Congratulations, Degan. >> Thank you so much. >> How special is that, Melissa? One more moment with Reese Atwood on this field.

One more moment to send Texas to the World Series. And there you have it. Noon Eastern, 11:00 a.m. Central at the World Series. Mississippi State, the Gate Crashers. Texas Tech and then Tennessee and Texas the national finalist. Texas and [music] Texas Tech will start it during the day. Arkansas, Nebraska, and Alabama UCLA at night. We absolutely cannot wait to bring you the World Series Thursday. Amanda Scarboro, [music] I can't wait to be there with you Thursday, but we're going to hear from you shortly because Sports Center is coming up next after a Texas [music] takedown of Arizona State.