OKLAHOMA CITY, LA — Montana Fouts struck out 16 and allowed two hits in a complete-game victory, helping No. 3 seed Alabama beat Arizona 5-1 on Thursday night in the Women’s College World Series opener for both teams.
Fouts threw 103 pitches, including 73 strikes. She regularly hit the low 70s on the radar gun, yet didn’t allow a walk.
“I think the thing of today was Montana Fouts,” Arizona coach Mike Candrea said. “I thought she truly threw a very good ballgame, really kept us at check. When you don’t have an offense — sometimes I felt like a ghost at third base. There’s not much you can do. All you can do to win a game like that is to match them pitch for pitch. We didn’t quite do that.”
Fouts, a first-team NFCA All-American, lost her shutout when Jessie Harper hit a solo homer with two out in the seventh inning.
It was Alabama’s 19th straight win. The Crimson Tide last loss on April 17.
Alabama (51-7) will play the winner of the UCLA-Florida State game in a winners bracket contest Friday night.
Arizona (41-14) will play the UCLA-Florida State loser in an elimination game on Saturday.
“We have another game left,” Harper said. “I get to put on this uniform again. Our team is going to be ready. We’re going to do whatever we have to to make it back to the top.”
