Teagan Kavan threw a four-hit shutout to lift Texas to a 4-0 win over Mississippi State in an elimination game in the Women’s College World Series on Friday in Oklahoma City.
Kavan, the WCWS Most Outstanding Player during last year’s title run, struggled in a three-inning performance in Thursday’s opening-round loss to Tennessee. But the junior righty bounced back in a big way against the Bulldogs.
After Xiane Romero’s two-out double in the first, Kavan retired eight consecutive hitters until Romero singled in the fourth.
Kavan got all the run support she needed in the second on Kaiah Altmeyer’s two-run home run.
Altmeyer jumped on Delainey Everett’s first pitch to put Texas on top. The home run was Altmeyer’s first of the season.
The Longhorns added another on Kayden Henry’s solo home run in the fifth.
Texas added another insurance run in the seventh when Katie Stewart scored from first on Viviana Martinez’s double to left center off Peja Goold.
Romero led off the seventh with a single for her third hit of the game. But after Kinley Keller followed with another single, Kavan retired three consecutive hitters to finish off the shutout. Kavan struck out just two hitters in the win.
Texas (48-12) takes on the loser of Saturday’s Alabama-Nebraska game in an elimination game 3 p.m. Sunday.
Mississippi State, which was in the WCWS for the first time in program history, finished 43-21.
–Field Level Media
