Tuesday, Alabama’s Montana Fouts was named the Wilson/NFCA D1 Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season, an award handed out weekly by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
With Tuesday’s announcement by the NFCA, Fouts became the only Crimson Tide player in program history to win the award twice in the same season and the 10th NFCA weekly award in Alabama history. Fouts also became one of just two Crimson Tide players to win multiple NFCA weekly awards over a career, with Alexis Osorio (2015-2018) as the only other Crimson Tide player with multiple award winners.
Last weekend Fouts recorded shutout victories in back-to-back games for the Crimson Tide against Missouri. Across the two games, Fouts allowed just seven hits and three walks along with striking out 26 Missouri hitters in her 16 innings of work.
Saturday’s game required Fouts to pitch nine innings to get the win and complete the shutout. Both Alabama and Missouri were held scoreless for eight innings until an Ashley Prange solo homer broke the tie in the top of the ninth with Alabama adding three more runs to win the game 4-0, as well as taking the weekend series.
"You've got to give a lot of credit to Montana,” coach Pat Murphy said after the extra-inning game. “She's one of the most resilient players I've seen in a long time. As a pitcher, the whole game revolves around your position, and she's still as gritty as ever. She was determined that Mizzou was not going to score first.”
In both games Fouts recorded double-digit strikeouts, bringing her total to eight games this season with over 10 strikeouts. Saturday’s 14-strikeout performance moved Fouts past Shelley Laird into fourth place in program history with 1,056 strikeouts, and just seven strikeouts away from Alexis Osorio in third place with 1,063.
Alabama and Montana Fouts take on South Carolina April 6-8, with an opportunity for Fouts to move into third place in strikeouts in program history.
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