Alabama Softball Walks Off South Carolina in Extras, Fouts Strikes Out 15

Kenleigh Cahalan came through with the walk-off liner in the ninth inning as Alabama gets back to .500 in SEC play.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It had been nearly two hours since Alabama had scored. In the meantime, Montana Fouts had thrown 102 more pitches and struck out 11 more batters. 

So when freshman Kenleigh Cahalan stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second and one out in the bottom of the ninth, she knew she needed to step up. 

The freshman delivered with a liner to centerfield to score Larissa Preuitt from second base as No. 14 Alabama walked off South Carolina in the series opener at Rhoads Stadium Thursday night. 

"With the team getting on in the first part of the inning, like [Larissa] and Jenna [Johnson] getting on, I knew that if I put it in play, something good would happen," Cahalan said after the game. "Knowing Montana has our back on defense, I knew it was gonna have a good chance of that."

Alabama managed its first run in the third inning on an RBI single from Ashley Prange. The next inning, the Crimson Tide had the bases loaded, but left them stranded on a three-pitch strikeout. 

Fouts was perfect through four innings. Things started to slightly unravel in the fifth inning when Riley Blampied led off the inning with a single to give the Gamecocks their first baserunner of the game. It was followed by a walk and another single. 

Three batters later, it appeared Fouts had gotten out of the inning with a swinging strikeout. But the dropped third strike allowed the runner to reach first safely and the runner from third to come in and tie the game.

The runner was initially called out at first, but after a challenge by South Carolina, the call was overturned and the run came in. Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said he is not allowed to ask for clarifications on replays, so he got no explanation from the umpires on the lone run from the Gamecocks. 

South Carolina again loaded the bases in the sixth inning, but this time, Fouts did get out of the jam completely unscathed. She finished the game with 152 pitches thrown and 15 strikeouts, one off her career high. It marked the third game in a row that Fouts had double-digit strikeouts and her fourth SEC win. 

Thursday night was the fourth game this season Fouts has pitched a complete game in an extra inning game. In the fifth inning, a ball was hit straight back to the circle and bounced off Fouts glove and ribcage. The pitcher said she felt completely fine after the game, but the Alabama coach said that moment might have motivated her.

"She retired the last 10 tonight, and she got stronger after the kid hit her glove," Murphy said. " I really thought she got stronger after that because she probably got upset and took it to 'em."

The Crimson Tide struggled at the plate for most of the game, and Murphy said he wants his team to be swinging at better pitches for the rest of the series. 

Alabama (27-11, 5-5 SEC) is trying to build off its series win against Missouri last weekend with the series against the Gamecocks (26-10, 3-7 SEC) this weekend. 

"I think it's a good opportunity for us," Fouts said. "You can't win the series or sweep without winning the first game. So I think going in tomorrow with the mindset of working on things that we need to improve on, defense and offense. So we're just going to get better and come back tomorrow."

Game two against South Carolina is scheduled for 6 p.m., but will likely start earlier in the day to avoid bad weather in the area. 

See also:

Montana Fouts Wins SEC, National Pitcher of the Week Honors

Updates: No. 14 Alabama Softball vs. South Carolina (Game One)

5 Reasons Why Alabama Facing an Opponent on A-Day Won't Happen: All Things CW