Texas tops Texas Tech in Game 1, nears back-to-back title

Texas turned an early punch from Texas Tech into control of the 2026 Women’s College World Series championship series, riding a five-run first inning and Teagan Kavan’s complete-game three-hitter to a 7-3 win at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The Longhorns, the No. 2 seed, now need one more victory to claim back-to-back national championships, while Texas Tech faces a fast climb back into the series.

Texas Tech opened the game with Mihyia Davis’ solo homer in the first inning, her 10th of the season and her 101st hit, which tied her for the national hits lead. Texas answered immediately and decisively. Katie Stewart launched a two-run homer, her fourth in as many games, and Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney added run-producing hits in a first inning that forced starter Kaitlyn Terry out early and changed the tone of the final before Texas Tech could settle in.

The Longhorns kept adding separation, and Texas Tech never fully recovered. Mia Williams cut the deficit to 6-3 with her 27th home run of the year in the fifth inning, but Kavan kept Texas Tech from turning that swing into real momentum. Texas finished with 10 hits and no errors, while Kavan’s command and pace gave Texas the kind of stability that has carried it through the postseason.

The win mattered beyond the scoreboard. Since the Women’s College World Series moved to a best-of-three championship format in 2005, teams that have taken Game 1 have gone on to win the title about 80% of the time. Texas also extended a pattern in this matchup, taking Game 1 of the 2025 final as well as the opener in this rematch between programs that advanced through the Austin and Gainesville regional paths to reach Oklahoma City.

Texas Tech fell to 61-9 and will play its fourth elimination game of the WCWS on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Red Raiders had not lost back-to-back games all season and entered the championship round 3-0 in elimination games at the WCWS, with wins over Alabama and UCLA. That resilience now meets the pressure of a repeat-title machine, with Texas carrying momentum, a deep lineup and a pitcher in Kavan who has become the stabilizing force of the tournament. Texas improved to 52-12 and moved within one win of finishing the job again.