NiJaree Canady's gem helps Stanford reach WCWS semifinals - ESPN

NiJaree Canady struck out eight and went the distance as Stanford defeated UCLA 3-1 on Sunday night to reach the Women's College World Series semifinals and eliminate the Bruins.

Stanford won the final game between Pac-12 teams before the league splits up. UCLA will be in the Big Ten next season while Stanford will join the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Canady allowed just three hits and walked none for the eighth-seeded Cardinal (50-16), who reached the semifinals for the second straight year.

Megan Grant's solo homer was the highlight for No. 6 UCLA (43-12), which won all three regular-season meetings.

Stanford will play No. 1 Texas in the semifinals on Monday. The Cardinal will need to win twice to advance to the best-of-three championship series, while Texas will need just one win to move on.

Canady, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, shut out Oklahoma State on Friday, but hit her leg while delivering a pitch late in the game, making her status uncertain.

She was more than ready. She threw strikes on 71 of her 97 pitches.

Grant's solo shot in the second opened the scoring.

Stanford gave Canady some run support in the third. Taryn Kern's RBI double tied the score, then Kern scored on a single by Ava Gall to put the Cardinal up 2-1.

Stanford got consecutive bunt singles from Emily Jones and Kaitlyn Kim at the bottom of the order to start the fifth. Pinch hitter Allie Clements' sacrifice fly scored Jones to make it 3-1.

Down to her last strike, UCLA's Savannah Pola was hit on the hand by a pitch, then Thessa Malau'ulu singled to put two on with two outs. Canady got pinch hitter Ramsey Suarez to ground out.

In the earlier game Sunday, No. 4 seed Florida beat No. 14 Alabama 6-4 to advance to the semifinals and