Tuesday, April 18
Huntington, W.Va.
12 p.m. CT
Alabama
vs
Liberty
Softball Breaks from Conference Play for Tuesday Doubleheader in West Virginia
4/17/2023 9:12:00 AM | Softball
The Crimson Tide will face Liberty and Marshall as a homecoming trip for Montana Fouts
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball (32-12) breaks from conference play for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday, April 18 in Huntington, W. Va., facing Liberty (28-15) at 12 p.m. CT and Marshall (36-5) at 2:30 p.m. CT. The games are serving as a homecoming trip for fifth-year senior Montana Fouts.
This Week: vs. Liberty/at Marshall
- Huntington, W. Va. – Dot Hicks Field
- Video: ESPN+ (Streaming) *Marshall Game Only*
- Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App
- Tuesday, April 18 vs. Liberty – 12 p.m. CT
- Tuesday, April 18 at Marshall – 2:30 p.m. CT
Scouting Alabama
- Alabama breaks from conference play for a midweek doubleheader Tuesday in Huntington, W. Va., facing Liberty at 12 p.m. CT and Marshall at 2:30 p.m. CT
- The Tide is coming off a series sweep at Mississippi State last weekend, its first SEC sweep of the season
- Kenleigh Cahalan and Ally Shipman lead the team with 44 and 41 hits, respectively, including a combined 26 doubles (13 each)
- Ashley Prange is third on the team with 38 hits while leading the squad with 12 home runs and 35 RBIs
- The Alabama pitching staff has a 1.90 ERA with 298.1 innings pitched, led by Montana Fouts at 17-6 with a 1.46 ERA and NCAA-leading 237 strikeouts in 153.2 innings pitched
- Murphy is in his 25th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,225-345 (.780) record
- Alabama returns 11 players from last year's team, including All-SEC honorees Montana Fouts, Ashley Prange, Ally Shipman and Bailey Dowling, while also welcoming five freshmen and three transfers
Inside the Series
- Overall vs. Liberty: 5-0
- In Tuscaloosa: 3-0 | In Lynchburg: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 2-0
- Current Streak: Alabama +5
- Last Meeting: Feb. 20, 2021 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - W, 8-1
- Overall vs. Marshall: 5-0
- In Tuscaloosa: 4-0 | In Huntington: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 1-0
- Current Streak: Alabama +5
- Last Meeting: Feb. 27, 2016 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - W, 4-2
Last Time Out: at Mississippi State
- Alabama won all three games of its weekend road games at Mississippi State, earning its first SEC series sweep of the season and its first sweep of the Bulldogs in Starkville since 2012
- The Crimson Tide won game one, 4-3, before back-to-back complete game shutouts from Alex Salter and Montana Fouts closed it out by scores of 6-0 and 1-0, respectively
- The six runs scored in game two are Alabama's most in conference play so far this season
- Jenna Johnson led the offense with a 5-for-10 (.500) weekend, including a career-best three hits in game two
Alabama in the SEC Rankings (Top 10)
Overall
- Batters Struck Out - Montana Fouts - 1st - 237
- Wins - Montana Fouts - 2nd - 17
- Doubles - Ally Shipman - T2nd - 13
- Doubles - Kenleigh Cahalan - T2nd - 13
- Opposing Batting Avg. - Jaala Torrence - 3rd - .133
- Home Runs - Ashley Prange - 8th - 12
- Opposing Batting Avg. - Montana Fouts - 8th - .159
- Walks - Kenleigh Cahalan - 9th - 28
- Earned Run Avg. - Montana Fouts - 9th - 1.46
SEC Only
- Batters Struck Out - Montana Fouts - 1st - 94
- Wins- Montana Fouts - T1st - 7
- Opposing Batting Avg. - Jaala Torrence - 2nd - .094
- ERA - Montana Fouts - 4th - 1.17
- Walks - Ashley Prange - T7th - 10
- Opposing Batting Average - Montana Fouts - 6th - .159
- Batting Avg. - Jenna Johnson - 9th - .349
Fouts Throws Fourth Career No-Hitter
- Fouts' no-hitter on April 8 vs. South Carolina was the fourth of her career, making her the fifth UA pitcher to throw four or more no-hitters, either solo or combined
- Kelsi Dunne holds the UA record with 10 no-hitters (nine solo, one combined), followed by Alexis Osorio with seven (four solo, three combined), Stephanie VanBrakle with five (all solo) and Fouts (three solo, one combined) tied with Madi Moore (all combined) with four
- It was the 13th seven-inning no hitter in program history and the 13th in conference play
- Fouts is one of just four UA pitchers to throw multiple solo no-hitters in a season, with Sydney Littlejohn doing so in 2015, Stephanie VanBrakle in 2006 and 2004 and Kelsi Dunne in 2008, 2009 and 2011
Multiple Solo No-Hitters in the Same Season
- Stephanie VanBrakle - 3 - 2006
- Kelsi Dunne - 3 - 2009
- Kelsi Dunne - 3 - 2011
- Stephanie VanBrakle - 2 - 2004
- Kelsi Dunne - 2 - 2008
- Sydney Littlejohn - 2 - 2015
- Montana Fouts - 2 - 2023
Extra Innings
- The game one win over South Carolina was Alabama's fifth extra-inning game this season, holding a 4-1 record in those contests
- The four extra-inning wins are tied for the second-most in a season in program history, only trailing a staggering 14-0 extra inning record in 2000
- The four extra-inning wins are the most since 2017, with the last time before that as 2009
- Overall, the Tide is 70-41 (.631) in extra-inning games
Most Extra-Inning Games in a Season (Record)
- 14 - 2000 (14-0)
- 9 - 1999 (3-6)
- 7 - 2001 (4-3)
- 6 - 2017 (4-2)
- 5 - 2023 (4-1), 2019 (3-2), 2009 (4-1), 2007 (3-2), 2006 (3-2), 2004 (3-2)
Moving Up the Career Shutout Rankings
- Montana Fouts' game three win at Mississippi State on Sunday was her 32nd career shutout, moving her within six of second place Kelsi Dunne and seven of Shelly Laird's career record
Alabama Career Shutout Leaders
- 39 - Shelley Laird (1999-02)
- 38 - Kelsi Dunne (2008-11)
- 32 - Montana Fouts (2019-pres.)
- 28 - Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
Fouts Surpasses the 1000 Strikeout Mark
- With two strikeouts in the March 14 win over North Alabama, Montana Fouts became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts
- She is now just 18 shy of second place Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06)
Alabama Career Strikeout Leaders
- 1,219 - Kelsi Dunne (2008-11)
- 1,113 - Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06)
- 1,095 - Montana Fouts (2019-pres.)
- 1,063 - Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
- 1,045 - Shelley Laird (1999-2002)
Fouts Career Record Watch
- With 92 career wins, Montana Fouts is fifth all-time at Alabama, with Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06) as the next milestone in fourth place with 97 wins
- Fouts also has 111 career starts, with fourth place VanBrakle as the next-highest on the list with 125
- Fouts has three saves this season, giving her 14 for her career which is two shy of tying Shelley Laird (1999-2002) and Osorio for second all-time at Alabama
Up Next: vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
- Friday, April 21 - 8 p.m. CT - SEC Network
- Saturday, April 22 - 3 p.m. CT - SEC Network
- Sunday, April 23 - 11:30 a.m. CT - ESPN
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
RHP
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