Alabama
Oklahoma
Texas
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (05/31/2026) — The Texas Tech Red Raiders edged the Alabama Crimson Tide 5-4 on Sunday at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park, with Mia Williams launching a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and send the Red Raiders home with a one-run victory in a back-and-forth slugfest.
The two teams traded blows from the opening innings to the final out, combining for six home runs in a game that featured three ties and ultimately came down to who held the lead last. Texas Tech answered Alabama at every turn, and when Williams connected in the seventh, the Crimson Tide had no response in their final at-bat.
How It Happened
Alabama struck first in the second inning when A. Vandagriff lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Marlie Giles and pushing Ana Roman to third for a 1-0 lead. Texas Tech answered immediately in the bottom half, as Hailey Toney doubled to right to bring home Taylor Pannell and knot the score at 1-1.
The Red Raiders grabbed their first lead in the third when Lauren Allred homered to left, making it 2-1. Alabama drew even again in the fourth on Giles' solo shot to left center, tying the game at 2-2.
Texas Tech surged ahead in the fifth as Pannell homered to left with Jackie Lis aboard, opening a 4-2 cushion. That two-run advantage held until the seventh, when Alabama mounted its final charge.
Turning Point
Trailing 4-2 entering the seventh, Alabama got the equalizer it needed when Jena Young homered to right, scoring Kristen White and tying the game at 4-4. The Crimson Tide had erased a two-run deficit and seized momentum heading into the bottom of the inning.
The surge proved short-lived. In the bottom of the seventh, Mia Williams answered with a solo home run to left center, restoring the Texas Tech lead at 5-4. Williams' blast stood as the decisive blow, leaving Alabama unable to respond and handing the Red Raiders the win.
Star of the Game
Taylor Pannell led the way for Texas Tech, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run. Her fifth-inning two-run shot gave the Red Raiders a lead they would not relinquish until Alabama's late rally, and she set the tone offensively throughout the afternoon.
Williams delivered the most important swing, finishing 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and the go-ahead home run. Allred chipped in 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a homer of her own, while Toney went 2-for-3 with a run-scoring double. In the circle, Kaitlyn Terry worked 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with three strikeouts, before NiJaree Canady closed it out with 2.2 innings of relief, surrendering three hits and one run while striking out four.
For Alabama, Giles paced the offense at 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a home run, and Young added a 1-for-4 line with a run, two RBIs and the game-tying seventh-inning blast. Kristen White went 2-for-3 with a run, and Ana Roman added a 2-for-3 effort. Jocelyn Briski started in the circle, going 3.1 innings with six hits, two runs and four strikeouts, while Vic Moten pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and three runs with four strikeouts.
What It Means
The Red Raiders showed resilience by repeatedly answering Alabama's punches and finishing the job with a late home run, earning a hard-fought one-run win on a neutral stage. The power display from Pannell, Allred and Williams underscored a lineup capable of producing runs in bunches.
For the Crimson Tide, the loss stings given how close they came, twice rallying to tie before Williams' seventh-inning shot. Giles and Young provided the offensive firepower, and the Tide will look to convert that production into a different outcome the next time out after falling just short in a tightly contested affair.
