liveUpdated 3m agoFollow our live coverage as Texas takes on Texas Tech with the WCWS title on the lineThe Athletic Live TeamJune 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM EDTTexas Tech and Texas will face off in Game 2 tonight. USA Today Network Texas vs. Texas Tech Game 2 — LatestTexas needs one win to repeat as the softball national champion, while Texas Tech needs a win to keep its season alive. Game 2 of the Women's College World Series championship takes place tonight.Follow along for coverage from our softball experts at The Athletic.Time: 8 p.m. ETWatch: ESPNStreaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now!)Get involved by using the Discuss tab or emailing live@theathletic.comGame 1 recap: Big inning sparks Texas Imagn ImagesIf you missed any of the action last night, you can find our recap here as Texas scored five runs in the first inning and rolled 7-3. The Longhorns are one win away from a second straight championship.Quality broadcasting of WCWSJust want to take a moment to recognize what a phenomenal job ESPN does broadcasting the WCWS. In addition to the main broadcast, they are doing an alt-cast (like McAfee in football) on ESPNU, and there's a set for SEC Network. All told they're using 45 cameras, nearly a much as the Women's Final Four.Why does Atwood talk to herself? Imagn ImagesWhy does Texas senior catcher Reese Atwood talk to herself before every at-bat? It has nothing to do with the game. Our Molly Keshin has the story behind Atwood's self-conversations here.No crisis at WCWS USA Today Network Wednesday began with yet another congressional hearing about college athletics, this one to discuss the newly introduced Protect College Sports Act in the Senate.“We agree today that college athletics are in crisis,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), “and we agree that the system is broken and unsustainable.”Roughly 10 hours later, that same “broken” system produced an adorably wholesome moment here in Oklahoma City. Several hundred young girls stood in the front row of Devon Park, angling yellow softballs over the railing for the arriving Texas Longhorns to sign. Most of them obliged, even ace Teagan Kavan, who was only an hour away from starting Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals. She went on to pitch her second straight complete game as defending national champ Texas took Game 1 of the best-of-three series, 7-3.What happened to Red Raiders in Game 1? Imagn ImagesGerry Glasco on the loss in Game 1, including the five-run first inning for Texas:💬 "We just lost momentum completely. I feel like we weren't ready for a bunt, and then Katie Stewart comes up and does what she's been doing all year. ... I thought we misplayed several balls that we should have had outs on. ... Bottom line, they just beat us tonight, and it was their night." According to coach Mike White, senior outfielder Ashton Maloney, who hit the two-run triple misplayed by Desirae Spearman that broke open Texas' scoring in the first, is beloved on the team not only for her speed and defensive prowess, but also her dry sense of humor.In the news conference after Texas' Game 1 win, Maloney responded to a question regarding what it will take to not repeat last year's situation with Texas Tech taking Game 2, she joked, "I think the keys to winning are to score more runs than your opponent.""She is probably, other than myself, probably the strongest competitor on the team," Mike White said. "So she hates to lose at anything. She is really driven to win. When she doesn't do what she wants to do, she gets a little upset, but you kind of like that part of her. And what kind of defense is she playing for us? The last several years we've been lucky enough to have her in right field, and she makes some great plays, strong arm."Texas' focus in Game 2 Imagn ImagesWhat is Texas' focus in Game 2?"Keeping the foot on the gas, it's not going to come easy. They're going to come out fighting more than ever," Katie Stewart said."I think to win, we need to score more runs than the opponent," senior outfielder Ashton Maloney joked.Defense hurt Red RaidersIf it weren't for some defensive miscues in the bottom of the first inning from Texas Tech, last night's matchup might have looked very different. It was that, not Katie Stewart's home run, that Gerry Glasco believed took away any momentum the Red Raiders had going into Game 1."We've had games like that through the year. If you go back to the Arizona game, there's several games like that throughout the year where it seemed like we aren't focused on defense and our positioning's out," Glasco said. "It's not necessarily the errors as much as not being in the right place at the right time and getting caught off. Altmeyer was a three-hole for Arizona last year, and we were playing her like she was a weak slapper."There's things that we have to clean up this level because, when you play a team like Texas with the talent they've got, you don't have room to make misplays or to have lapses on defense."Stewart's streak continues Imagn ImagesKatie Stewart had only one hit in the opener, but it was a big one: a two-run home run in the first inning that sparked Texas' five-run first inning. Stewart has a home run in four straight games.During last night's news conference, Texas coach Mike White wasn't quite sure if he'd go with Teagan Kavan in back-to-back games or instead turn to Citlaly Gutierrez in the circle, Texas Tech's hitters are mentally prepared to see the Longhorns ace up and at them again in Game 2. After chasing some pitches out of the zone last night, as Gerry Glasco said especially happened in full counts, the Red Raiders' made a point even immediately after last night's game that they'll have to make adjustments, fast."(Teagan)'s a really good pitcher. I think she has good command with her balls, and she's elite," Mia Williams said. "It's hard. She's a good pitcher.""She has good movement," Mihyia Davis said. "I think we just need to be more, we don't need to swing at a whole bunch of balls next time."Offensive balance Imagn Images Texas had eight players with a hit in Game 1, including two each from Kayden Henry and Viviana Martinez. Six players scored a run, including two for Jaycie Nichols.Kavan settled in nicely in Game 1 USA Today Network Teagan Kavan on her performance last night after the first-inning homer by Texas Tech's Mihyia Davis:"I think it was kind of similar to our game against Nebraska when I had that home run early too," Kavan said. "I know it's not going to be a scoreless game and they're probably going to get a run – good teams, good offenses – at some point. [I] just tell myself, 'Well, this is probably going to happen at some point. Just put my head down, do my work for the team, and try to keep us in the game as long as possible.'"Stewart keeps things simple Imagn ImagesKatie Stewart has been on a tear at the plate all year, and also at the WCWS. The Texas junior has homered in four straight games, including a two-run blast deep to left center that left Devon Park last night to give Texas a lead that they then never surrendered."Just keeping my approach simple, really not overthinking anything in the box," Stewart said, when asked what's working for her at the plate. "Just not missing my pitch when I get it."Will we see a fifth straight game with a homer from Stewart tonight?Game 1 pitching stats Imagn ImagesPitching stats in Game 1:Earned runs allowed: Texas Tech 7; Texas 3Walks: Texas Tech 2; Texas 2Strikeouts: Texas Tech 2; Texas 6Batters faced: Texas Tech 31; Texas 27Game 1 offensive stats Imagn ImagesOffensive stats in Game 1:At-bats: Texas Tech 24; Texas 27Hits: Texas Tech 3; Texas 10RBIs: Texas Tech 3; Texas 7Walks: Texas Tech 2; Texas 7Strikeouts: Texas Tech 6; Texas 2Texas Tech's season on the lineMentally prepare yourselves to potentially see a lot of pitching changes from Gerry Glasco and Texas Tech tonight, with their run for a title on the line. Glasco’s method behind the madness? “Tentative has no power.” On Monday, after Texas Tech advanced to the finals, NiJa Canady had a similar sentiment with how she flipped a switch to another level before her stunning Game 2 performance: “Timidity has no power.”Join our discussion Imagn ImagesWho's going to win tonight? Who's going to win the series? Let us know your thoughts! We want you to be part of our discussion.Another repeat? Imagn ImagesOklahoma won four straight national titles from 2021 to 2024, only to have Texas snap that streak last year. Now, it's the Longhorns who can repeat with just one more win. What happened in Game 1? USA Today Network Texas scored five runs in the first inning in the opener, including a two-run home run from Katie Stewart to overcome a 1-0 deficit to win 7-3. Our Molly Keshin has the story from Game 1 here.