WCWS weather delay: When Texas vs. Texas Tech Game 2 will start

Game 2 of the 2025 Women’s College World Series final will start in a weather delay, SEC Network’s Alyssa Lang said on The Paul Finebaum Show. Texas vs. Texas Tech was set to start at 8 p.m. ET before storms entered the Oklahoma City area.

The NCAA later said first pitch would be no earlier than 8:45 p.m. ET, meaning it would be at least a 45-minute delay. Officials previously announced they was monitoring weather less than an hour before gates opened at Devon Park for Thursday night’s second game of the WCWS final.

The NCAA then officially confirmed game time would be at 8:50 p.m. ET as the skies began to clear in Oklahoma City. That meant it would be a 50-minute delay.

First pitch is set for 8:50 PM ET! 🥎#WCWS pic.twitter.com/Ffxe5vQsBz

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2025

Texas and Texas Tech are both competing for their first-ever national title. The two teams squared off in a wild Game 1 of the WCWS championship series on Wednesday, which the Longhorns won 2-1. It wasn’t without some crazy sequences and controversial calls, though.

It started in the fifth inning when a controversial obstruction call helped set up a go-ahead run for Texas Tech. Leighann Goode went to tag Logan Halleman out on a stolen base attempt. Goode placed the tag well before Halleman got to the base, but Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco challenged the call and argued Goode obstructed.

Umpires reviewed it and overturned the call. They ruled Goode obstructed Halleman’s path to the base, which is spelled out in Rule 9.5.1 of the rulebook. But the call led to some pushback from the ESPN broadcast, and Jessica Mendoza went so far as to call for a rule change.

“It’s not, and they need to change the rule because the problem with the rule is if the runner is starting their slide – my thing is, if the runner is hosed, if she’s going to be out, then there is no obstruction,” Mendoza said on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. “Is she obstructing if the runner is not even there yet? So the way that the rule reads is yes, the shortstop Leighann Goode was in the base path. Was she blocking the leading edge? But the point is it’s got to be when the runner is actually going into it. That’s the point. Is she obstructing the runner? But the runner was going to be out no matter what, and that’s why the rule has to change because that is not obstruction.

“That is not what the rule is for, and it’s hard here at the World Series. I am with you. We talked about it in the break during the game. I am so glad that that is not the leading topic of this amazing game.”

Reese Atwood’s heroics sealed Texas’ Game 1 win

In the sixth inning, Texas catcher Reese Atwood stepped to the plate and NiJaree Canady tried to intentionally walk her. However, Atwood sent a base hit to left field, scoring two runs to give the Longhorns a 2-1 lead.

Then, in the seventh, Texas Tech got a strikeout from Teagan Kavan and Atwood hit the home plate umpire’s mask on the throw to second on the stolen base attempt. By rule, the runner had to go back to first base because she was safe at second and there was umpire interference.

Mike White then challenged and argued there was batter interference, as well – meaning the baserunner would be out. The umpires upheld the call on the field, though, and the game ended one batter later.

Ultimately, Texas held on for the 2-1 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the WCWS final. The Longhorns can clinch their first-ever national championship in Thursday’s second game of the best-of-three series. Texas Tech, meanwhile, can force a winner-take-all Game 3 with a victory Thursday night.