Fouts Ties Career-Best Mark With 16 Strikeouts in Alabama Softball Win Over Clemson
Before the first pitch was thrown it was obvious the spotlight on Saturday’s NCAA Regional game between Alabama and Clemson was going to be directly in the circle.
SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year vs. ACC Player and Freshman of the Year.
Alabama’s Montana Fouts and Clemson’s Valerie Cagle didn’t disappoint. In the end, though, Fouts was just too dominant as the Crimson Tide took the 6-0 win.
Alabama (47-7) faces the winner of Saturday’s loser-bracket game on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the regional championship.
"I thought it was a great, high-caliber, well-played softball game," I think the key for us was we wanted to put the ball in play and make them make plays because we know that (Cagle) is a very good pitcher.
"Montana did the rest. Sixteen Ks and no walks, it was just a great performance by her."
Both pitchers entered the Saturday morning game with impeccable credentials, and very similar. Fouts came in with a 1.55 ERA, allowing 48 runs with 275 strikeouts. Cagle boasted a 1.04 ERA with 41 runs allowed and 257 strikeouts.
Cagle did her best to fluster Crimson Tide hitters, allowing two runs on five hits through five innings. She was chased in the sixth, however, allowing four runs on three hits. She finished with just three strikeouts.
The day belonged to Fouts (23-3, 1.44 ERA). The Alabama junior allowed no runs on four hits with 16 strikeouts, tying her career-best.
"I'm really not surprised when she has that many strikeouts," Alabama left fielder Alexis Mack said. "I know she wants to be out there and she wants to strike out every single one of them. As a defense we really key off of her energy."
Fouts has been dominant in the circle during the Crimson Tide’s 15-game win streak, allowing 12 runs in 73 innings Over her last seven starts she’s walked just seven batters. She has six straight games with 10 or more strikeouts.
Kilfoyl was the star Friday with a career-best 15 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. With Fouts’ effort Saturday, they have 31 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.
Clemson got to Fouts first with a hit in the second and another in the third. But no damage was done as Fouts dominated with seven strikeouts through the first three innings.
Alabama was flustered by Cagle in the first two innings but Taylor Clark got an infield hit to get the ball rolling in the third. Speedsters Elissa Brown and Alexis Mack followed with bunt singles. It was a close play at first on Mack’s bunt but it went Alabama’s way.
"It's incredible," Mack said of Alabama's speed. "It makes our offense really consistent and it makes things really easy. I think we put a lot of pressure on defenses, even when we are not hitting the ball out of the infield."
Bailey Hemphill followed with the Crimson Tide’s fourth straight hit, a bloop single to right field, to drive in two runs.
Alabama put up some insurance runs on Mack’s two-run single in the sixth. Hemphill then delivered a two-run single for the knockout blow and a 6-0 lead. Hemphill went 2-for-2 with four RBIs and two walks.
Mack went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. She’s got five hits in two regional games.
