| BSB/SB 🥎 Montana Fouts’ Perfect Game Leads Alabama to 9-0 Win Friday over Ole Miss (Saturday, 1 CT on SECN)

[UA Press Release]

Alabama Softball Concludes SEC Play on the Road at Ole Miss - University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama softball concludes its SEC schedule this weekend with a three-game road series at Ole Miss, beginning Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m. CT

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball concludes its SEC schedule this weekend with a three-game road series at Ole Miss, beginning Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m. CT. Game two of the weekend series will air live on the SEC Network.

This Weekend: #14/14 Alabama (36-16, 12-9 SEC) at Ole Miss (28-23, 7-14 SEC)​

• Oxford, Miss. – Ole Miss Softball Complex
• Friday, May 5 – 6 p.m. CT – SEC Network+ (streaming)
• Saturday, May 6 – 1 p.m. CT – SEC Network
• Sunday, May 7 – 1 p.m. CT – SEC Network+ (streaming)
• Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Alabama cruises to 9-0 win... Fouts pitched the 6 inning perfect game (threw just 67 pitches). She's throwing as well as she has all year, which comes at a good time heading into the postseason. Preuitt led Bama at the plate going 4-4, Prange added 3 hits of her own. Game 2, tomorrow at 1. That is Montana's 4th career perfect game (2nd this season).

 

[UAgrad93]

Ladies play with so much more confidence when Montana is in the circle. Like it was said in the baseball thread, top of the lineup started pressing tonight. I believe it is the same with the ladies when Montana isn’t in the circle. They feel as though one of them “has to come up with the big hit/HR or they’ll lose”. With Montana, it’s more like “we get her 1 run, we will win!”

 

[UA Press Release]

Montana Fouts’ Perfect Game Leads Alabama to 9-0 Win Friday over Ole Miss - University of Alabama Athletics

Fifth-year senior Montana Fouts led Alabama to a 9-0 win over Ole Miss in Friday's series opener, throwing the fourth perfect game of her career

rolltide.com

OXFORD, Miss. – Fifth-year senior Montana Fouts led Alabama to a 9-0 win over Ole Miss in Friday's series opener, throwing the fourth perfect game of her career.

The perfect game is the fourth of Fouts' career and her second this season, previously doing so against Longwood on March 5. She is the only player in Alabama history to throw four perfect games, three of which have been solo. It is also Fouts' fourth no-hitter of the season, tied for the Alabama single-season record and the first time since Kelsi Dunne in 2011. Overall, it marks the ninth perfect game in Tide history and the 45th no-hitter.

Alabama (37-16, 13-9 SEC) capitalized on an early error from Ole Miss (28-24, 7-15 SEC), with an errant throw out of play allowing Jenna Johnson to score from second base. A sac fly RBI later in the inning made it 2-0 and the Crimson Tide tacked on three more in the top of the second on three RBI singles to stretch the lead to 5-0. The score remained the same until a bases-loaded single from Bailey Dowling in the sixth plated a pair of runs and a Larissa Preuitt double tacked on two more to stretch the lead to 9-0. With the run-rule lead in effect, Montana Fouts (21-8) only needed to close out the bottom of the sixth to secure the perfect game.

On offense, Preuitt led the way with a 4-for-4 day with two RBIs, the most hits for any Tide player this season. Ashley Prange tied her career high with a three-hit day, her 10th multi-hit game of the season to extend her reached-base streak to seven games. Dowling drove in three of the team's nine runs, her fourth game this season with three or more RBIs.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy​

"That was old fashioned Alabama softball. The starting pitcher had a great game, the defense was terrific and we had 11 hits and kept innings alive. We saw four pitchers tonight and thought we did well against all four and Montana [Fouts] did the rest. There were some really good at-bats early. We went out with a game plan and our hitters followed it to a tee. We adjusted really well to each of the pitchers they put in."

From Montana Fouts​

"It was really easy to trust my defense. Ole Miss was putting the ball in play but we were making great plays out there. We put the runs on the board, which is always great as a pitcher. Putting up five runs in the first two innings was a big deal."

 

[rick4bama]

Didn't she graduate yesterday too?

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Didn't she graduate yesterday too?

She got her Masters this week.

 

[bama alum]

Got the start again today. K'd the side in the first inning. BOOOOOOOOOOM!

 

[bama alum]

Esman is not having a good day at 1st.

 

[bama alum]

Bama's down to its last out when Jenna Johnson jacks a 3-run HR over the left field fence! BOOOOOOOOOOM!

 

[bama alum]

Blah game, helluva 7th inning!

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Only saw a few minutes on this game... had a feeling Bama was going to score at least 1 in the 7th... I really thought it would go into extras, but Johnson took care of that! I'm guessing Murphy went with Fouts today banking on a win and hoping the door would swing open for a chance to grab the 4th seed in the SEC tomorrow, which has happened with both auburn and the Hogs losing today. Bama would need to win tomorrow plus auburn or Arkansas lose again... I'd say unlikely to happen, but certainly a chance nonetheless. That #4 seed is important because it gives you and extra day off. If auburn and Arkansas both lost, and Bama won, the Tide would have the #3 seed. They both hold the head-to-head tiebreakers over us though.

 

[bama alum]

Only saw a few minutes on this game... had a feeling Bama was going to score at least 1 in the 7th... I really thought it would go into extras, but Johnson took care of that! I'm guessing Murphy went with Fouts today banking on a win and hoping the door would swing open for a chance to grab the 4th seed in the SEC tomorrow, which has happened with both auburn and the Hogs losing today. Bama would need to win tomorrow plus auburn or Arkansas lose again... I'd say unlikely to happen, but certainly a chance nonetheless. That #4 seed is important because it gives you and extra day off. If auburn and Arkansas both lost, and Bama won, the Tide would have the #3 seed. They both hold the head-to-head tiebreakers over us though.

I think that's exactly why he went with Fouts today. You know, you'd think if he can see the desperate need to start Fouts today that perhaps he can see the desperate need to both hit the portal and the recruiting trail for some stellar pitching.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I think that's exactly why he went with Fouts today. You know, you'd think if he can see the desperate need to start Fouts today that perhaps he can see the desperate need to both hit the portal and the recruiting trail for some stellar pitching.

He’d have to severely slacking in the self-awareness department at this point to not notice that he’s gonna need more reliable arms next year, regardless of how well Briski plays as a true freshman. I firmly believe he needs to grab 2 more arms that can be immediate impacts on SEC weekends. I’d much rather spend my time trying to keep players happy about playing time than not have enough that can get the job done in the first place. A lot more to it than that, but I hope he gets it done.

 

[bama alum]

He’d have to severely slacking in the self-awareness department at this point to not notice that he’s gonna need more reliable arms next year, regardless of how well Briski plays as a true freshman. I firmly believe he needs to grab 2 more arms that can be immediate impacts on SEC weekends. I’d much rather spend my time trying to keep players happy about playing time than not have enough that can get the job done in the first place. A lot more to it than that, but I hope he gets it done.

Well, he's already lacking self awareness if he thinks he's getting to Oklahoma City on a regular basis without a hitting coach...

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Well, he's already lacking self awareness if he thinks he's getting to Oklahoma City on a regular basis without a hitting coach...

I do think he needs to get a hitting coach, but I also believe the hitting woes are not solely a result of his coaching.

 

[bama alum]

I do think he needs to get a hitting coach, but I also believe the hitting woes are not solely a result of his coaching.

Oh, I agree. I should have clarified that.

 

[bamanc50]

IMO. Some of the problems with this current team is internal. It’s very unlikely that you have 3 starting freshman players, that were starters and productive, immediately hit the portal after last season. Also a pitcher that would have been the 2nd behind Montana and probably a starter for several games leave. I saw this pitcher come in against the #1 team and do a good job. They didn’t win the game but this particular pitcher would have been a huge asset to this year’s Bama team. This is not going to be popular but again IMO it’s going to be interesting to see what happens after some of the grad students, 5th year players, and seniors have used up their eligibility and not a part of the 2024 team. We shall see next year. RTR.

 

[bamanc50]

I think that's exactly why he went with Fouts today. You know, you'd think if he can see the desperate need to start Fouts today that perhaps he can see the desperate need to both hit the portal and the recruiting trail for some stellar pitching.

It’s interesting that the only pitcher on Bama’s team that hit the portal after last season was the 2nd behind Montana and would have started several games this season.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

IMO. Some of the problems with this current team is internal. It’s very unlikely that you have 3 starting freshman players, that were starters and productive, immediately hit the portal after last season. Also a pitcher that would have been the 2nd behind Montana and probably a starter for several games leave. I saw this pitcher come in against the #1 team and do a good job. They didn’t win the game but this particular pitcher would have been a huge asset to this year’s Bama team. This is not going to be popular but again IMO it’s going to be interesting to see what happens after some of the grad students, 5th year players, and seniors have used up their eligibility and not a part of the 2024 team. We shall see next year. RTR.

I don't really disagree with any of that, I'd just say that it is a very "on the surface" summary of what all transpired. Yes, there were absolutely issues with the freshmen players that led to them leaving... it's also fair to point out too that they haven't exactly gone to new places and torn it up last I checked... although Goodnight was putting up some numbers in an offensive heavy UGA lineup. Bloodworth had done nothing and I think Lord left the Ole Miss team weeks ago. Kilfoyl jumping was a massive blow.... but pre-NIL, I'm not sure she leaves.

I think it is more than fair to question Murphy right now on his plan... he got the rug pulled out from under him last year and didn't respond well... some of that may have been to much faith in the roster that was left. But I do think he should be given the opportunity to figure it out and adjust accordingly. A decent sized chunk of the 11.7 is coming off the books after the season... that should certainly help.

 

[Rsedge72]

It’s interesting that the only pitcher on Bama’s team that hit the portal after last season was the 2nd behind Montana and would have started several games this season.

She and her parents say that Murph and staff mishandled an injury