Montana Fouts details flipping switch during season

For the 14th time in school history Alabama‘s softball team has made it to the Women’s College Softball World Series, where they’ll take on a familiar conference opponent in their first matchup. The Crimson Tide will square off with Tennessee in their first-round matchup in Oklahoma City, a team that gave them problems during the regular season.

Tennessee defeated Alabama 2-1 in their regular series season this year, and they also gave star pitcher Montana Fouts, in particular, some issues. The Lady Vols were the only team to hand Fouts two losses in a series this season, but Fouts did follow it up with one of her most impressive stretches of the season. And heading into her rematch with Tennessee, she shared what changed in herself following their regular season showdown.

“I would say mentally trying to be a little bit sharper, physically a little bit sharper, bring more to the table,” Fouts said. “I felt there were a couple things I could work on. I think I just took the series and learned from it. I feel like that’s what we all did as a team.”

In her two games versus the Volunteers Fouts gave up 11 hits and five runs, easily her worst two-game stretch of the season. But she followed that series with a dominant six-game winning streak, which started off immediately by giving up zero runs in her two games and sixteen innings pitched versus Missouri.

Fouts gave up just seven hits total in her two games versus the Tigers, as even her teammates couldn’t help but notice her playing at a different level.

“Yeah, I could just by her commitment and focus after that series,” catcher Ally Shipman said about Fouts versus Missouri. “There was a look in her eye that said I’m going to compete and I’m going to get better for the team, and she did that, and she did it really well,” Shipman said.”

Fouts had double-digit strikeouts in four consecutive games following her last regular season loss to Tennessee, but can she bring that same level of play to the Volunteers on Tuesday? The fifth-year senior returned to play during Alabama’s Super Regional series versus Northwestern following a knee injury she suffered in the SEC Tournament versus Arkansas.

She’s been splitting time on the mound with junior pitcher Jaala Torrence since returning from injury, as she’ll now have a chance to get redemption on the team that got the best of her last time they faced and eliminated the Crimson Tide from the SEC Tournament without her in the lineup.