(Photo credit: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Teagan Kavan went the distance, surrendering just three hits, and Katie Stewart kept her hot streak going as No. 2 seed Texas opened the Women's College World Series Championship Series with a 7-3 win over 11th-seeded Texas Tech on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
In the best-of-three series, the Longhorns (52-12) need one more victory to secure their second consecutive title. Texas beat Texas Tech (61-9) in three games in last year's championship series.
Texas jumped on top with a big first inning and Kavan made it hold up, striking out six and walking two.
Texas Tech got off to a quick start, taking the lead on Mihyia Davis' one-out solo home run in the first.
But the Longhorns struck back in a big way in the bottom of the first, taking the lead on Stewart's towering two-run homer to left-center after Kayden Henry's bunt single.
Stewart has homered in a WCWS-record four consecutive games and has seven career WCWS home runs, third-most all time.
After giving up four hits in the first six batters, Red Raiders starting pitcher Kaitlyn Terry (24-3) was replaced by NiJaree Canady.
Canady gave up an infield single -- the Longhorns' third of the inning -- to score another and Ashton Maloney came through with a two-run triple to make it 5-1.
Texas Tech had given up more than two first-inning runs just once this season - surrendering four in a Super Regional win over Florida.
After the Red Raiders failed to pull closer in the third, Gerry Glasco lifted Canady in favor of Samantha Lincoln, opting to save his ace for Thursday's start after Canady faced just six hitters. Lincoln had yet to pitch in this year's WCWS.
Texas added another in the fourth when Jaycie Nichols raced in to score from second on Viviana Martinez's infield single.
The Red Raiders pulled within three in the fifth on Mia Williams' two-run home run to center off Kavan's rise ball.
The Longhorns had five infield hits, including two from Martinez.
Martinez drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Kavan retired the side in order in the seventh to finish off the victory.
Kavan (29-6) became just the seventh pitcher with 10 or more career WCWS wins, joining Canady in the group.
--Field Level Media
