Montana Fouts, Alabama put Wildcats on brink of Women's College World Series elimination

OKLAHOMA CITY — A cute sound — a really cute sound — plays inside USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium every time a pitcher strikes a batter out.

It’s a short little melody: bom, bom, bom … di di di … bom bom bom.

The 11th-ranked Arizona Wildcats heard the chime 16 times in Thursday’s 5-1 Women’s College World Series loss to No. 3 Alabama — and let’s just say it wasn’t so pleasant.

That’s what happens when you run into the best pitcher in the nation — and she’s dealing. Montana Fouts was stellar in the WCWS-opening win, posting a career-high 16 Ks while limiting Arizona’s high-powered offense to a single run on two hits.

Arizona (41-14) now falls into the loser’s bracket of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The Wildcats will play No. 10 Florida State (44-11-1), with the loser eliminated. UA will square off with FSU at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in game that’ll be broadcast on ESPN.

The Seminoles were shut out by UCLA 4-0 on Thursday night. Florida State beat UA in two of three games in Tallahassee in March in a low-scoring series where the teams combined for only nine total runs.

Fouts said Thursday’s performance was special, in part because one of her role models — former UA ace Jennie Finch — was in attendance, sitting behind the UA dugout.

“It was cool … I’ve looked up to her my entire life and I’m still a big fan now,” Fouts said. Fouts, a right-hander with a throwing motion nearly identical to Finch’s, feasted on the middle and bottom of Arizona’s lineup. The Wildcats’ Nos. 4-9 batters went 0 for 13 with 13 strikeouts. Cleanup hitter Dejah Mulipola struck out looking to end the game.

One batter earlier, Arizona’s Jessie Harper took another step in her home run chase.

In her final at-bat of the game, Harper hit her 92nd career homer — a blast to center field. She is now tied with former Wildcat Kati Mauga with the second most home runs in college softball history. Only former Oklahoma standout Lauren Chamberlain (95) has more.

“I told myself before that at-bat I was getting Dejah Mulipola another at-bat,” Harper said. “Dejah is super special, oh my goodness I love watching her at-bat. I trusted her 100% and I knew if we can get Dejah another at-bat, it’s going to be good. That was my mindset: ‘You are not going to beat me again.’”

Harper hit a solo home run in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series, as well. That was number 29 that year.

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Janelle Meoño was the only other Wildcat to reach base. Her single came in the fourth inning.

“It was difficult for a couple of us to get on time, but I think we did adjust at the end. We just needed to see more pitches and extend out,” Meoño said. “But, we’ll be back ready for the next game.”

Neves appeared to get the best of the Wildcats early — especially on defense. In the first inning, after starter Hanah Bowen forced a one-pitch groundout, she walked two straight batters. With runners on first and second, Jenna Johnson hit a sharp single to left field. The usually sure-handed Meoño had a hard time collecting it and throwing home as a runner crossed the plate. The Pac-12’s Freshman of the Year only had two errors all season long.

Alabama added a solo home run in the third. Alyssa Denham entered in relief of Bowen, pitched the final two innings and gave up a two-run home run.

The last time Fouts struck out 16 batters was on May 22 against Clemson. She was four off the record of 20 by UCLA’s Debbie Doom in 1992 in a 13-inning game against Oklahoma State.

“My hat goes off to her: She threw a hell of a ballgame,” UA coach Mike Candrea said. “We didn’t have any answers the majority of that game, and I think early on we were not catching up to the speed. We were actually making ourselves react quicker than we needed to, instead of trying to slow it down and get good pitches. … The thing today was Montana Fouts … she really kept us in check. … All you can do to win a game like that is match them pitch for pitch and we didn’t quite do that.”

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