Instant Analysis: Alabama vs. Arizona in WCWS

Montana Fouts continues her dominant postseason, striking out 16 and giving up two hits and a run in Crimson Tide's 19th straight win

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Montana Fouts continues to do Montana Fouts things.

Arizona hitters were no match for the Alabama All-American ace on Thursday in the Women's College World Series opener.

The SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year struck out 16 Wildcats and gave up two hits in a brilliant outing. The only blemish was a solo home run in the seventh-inning.

"She's just never satisfied," catcher Bailey Hemphill said of Fouts. "She can have the best game of her life, the next day, How can I get better? That mindset I think is what makes her so great. She's never complacent with what she achieves on the field. She's always striving to get better."

On the offensive side, Bailey Hemphill got the offense rolling, scoring the game's first run in the first inning, and then blasting a solo home run, her 13th of the year, to make it 2-0.

Alabama's younger players stepped up in the sixth, with sophomore Savannah Woodard's single, and sophomore Abby Doerr's two-run home run.

Alabama is in the winner's bracket and faces either UCLA or Florida State on Friday.

"It is huge," Fouts said of starting the tournament in the winner's bracket. "In 2019 I think we dropped the first one. It helps to stay in the winner's bracket. It gives us confidence. Arizona is a great team, great pitching staff, great hitters. We can hang, deserve to be here. For all the girls in 2019, it shows them we got this thing, too."