Bama Central

Swept State: Montana Fouts Wins Pitchers' Duel as Alabama Beats Bulldogs

Ally Shipman delivered the clutch RBI, and Montana Fouts threw her sixth complete-game SEC shutout to earn Alabama's first conference series sweep.

Katie Windham

Alabama Athletics

How sweep it is. 

Behind Montana Fouts' sixth complete-game shutout in conference play and the clutch hit from Ally Shipman, No. 14 Alabama softball escapes Starkville with the 1-0 win over Mississippi State and first SEC series sweep of the season. 

It was a pitcher's duel Sunday afternoon at Nusz Park between Fouts and Mississippi State starter Aspen Wesley. The Bulldog pitcher faced some trouble with free passes in the first inning, but was able to escape unscathed after having two Crimson Tide runners in scoring position with one out. 

Alabama's lone run came in the third inning on the two-out RBI-single from Shipman. The Crimson Tide catcher battled back from an 0-2 count to line one into centerfield, scoring Kristen White from second base, who led off the inning with a walk. 

Fouts was aided by a strong defensive performance, specifically by third basemen Ashley Prange. She turned double plays in back-to-back innings. With bases loaded in the third, a hard grounder was hit to Prange, and she stepped on the third base bag and fired over to first to get Alabama out of the jam and preserve the lead. 

Despite not having her A-game and the pressure of little run support, Fouts was still able to deliver the Crimson Tide to a victory and the elusive sweep. 

After a rough start to conference play, Alabama has now won three series in a row and four straight games, improving to 32-12 overall and 9-6 in SEC play. Next up for the Crimson Tide is Fouts' homecoming trip to West Virginia to take on Marshall and Liberty on Tuesday before a big home weekend series against the Auburn Tigers. 

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See also:

Updates: No. 14 Alabama Softball at Mississippi State (Game 3)

Montana Fouts Named to 2023 USA Softball Women’s National Team World Cup Roster

Disco Inferno: Alabama Baseball's Groovy New Celebration

Published
Katie Windham
KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports. 

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