No. 2 Texas Tech Softball Dominates BYU in Game 1

Red Raiders use big offensive outburst to cruise to 11-1 victory in six innings

Apr. 3, 2026 at 3:03am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Texas Tech softball game, with sharp, overlapping planes of red, black, white, and blue creating a dynamic, fragmented visual representation of the action on the field.Texas Tech's dominant softball victory over BYU showcases the team's depth and talent as they continue their impressive season.Lubbock Today

The No. 2 ranked Texas Tech softball team defeated BYU 11-1 in six innings on Thursday night at Tracy Sellers Field in Lubbock. NiJaree Canady became the 102nd pitcher in NCAA history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts, while Jackie Lis hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead the Red Raiders' offensive onslaught.

Why it matters

Texas Tech's dominant performance over BYU keeps them in the hunt for a high NCAA Tournament seed as they continue their impressive 36-2 season. The Red Raiders' powerful offense and Canady's historic pitching milestone showcase the team's depth and talent as they look to make a deep postseason run.

The details

After BYU scored an unearned run in the top of the first, Texas Tech responded with three runs in the bottom half to take the lead for good. The Red Raiders then added single runs in the third and fifth innings before exploding for six runs in the sixth to end the game early via the run-rule. Lis led the way with two homers and six RBIs, while Canady struck out 11 Cougars batters in just 73 pitches.

  • The game took place on Thursday, April 3, 2026.
  • Texas Tech and BYU will play again on Friday, April 4, 2026 at 6 p.m. CT.

The players

NiJaree Canady

The Texas Tech pitcher became the 102nd player in NCAA history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts.

Jackie Lis

The Texas Tech slugger hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead the Red Raiders' offensive outburst.

Texas Tech

The No. 2 ranked softball team improved to 36-2 on the season with the dominant victory over BYU.

BYU

The Cougars fell to 11-23 on the year and 2-8 in conference play with the loss to the Red Raiders.

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What’s next

Texas Tech and BYU will play the second game of their series on Friday, April 4, 2026 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on FS1.

The takeaway

Texas Tech's complete performance against BYU, highlighted by Canady's historic pitching milestone and Lis' powerful hitting, demonstrates the Red Raiders' status as one of the top teams in the country and a legitimate contender for a deep NCAA Tournament run.