Patrick Murphy calls Montana Fouts' performance at Women's College World Series 'unbelievable'

Facing elimination at the 2023 Women’s College World Series, Alabama has turned to a familiar face in the circle: Montana Fouts. Fouts has battled injury over the last few weeks but has fought through to compete for her team.

The Alabama ace got off to a decent start in an elimination game against Stanford, working through the first four innings while giving up only one run.

“It’s unbelievable,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said in an in-game interview with ESPN. “Holly (Rowe), you’ve seen her for five years. She is, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it right now, she is the grittiest, most resilient kid I’ve ever had in the circle. She wants to be out there so dang bad and I have to give her a shot. I have to give her a shot.”

Whether that will pay off for the Crimson Tide remains to be seen. The Cardinal scored first in the game, taking the lead in the top of the second inning.

Stanford first baseman Emily Schultz started the rally with a single to left field. She scored minutes later when third baseman Sydney Steele hit an RBI double to right center, opening the scoring in the Women’s College World Series elimination game.

But Fouts has otherwise been excellent, surrendering just four hits through four innings.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, the catcher and our pitching coach Lance McMahon goes out, that’s not a strategy thing,” Murphy said. “That’s to readjust her brace. And it’s not a gamesmanship thing. She had to do it in Super Regionals, and we tried to warn the umpire about it, and he’s been really cool about it. But it’s more of an injury thing. Hopefully we’ll score a run. We need to score a couple to help her out.”

Rowe pressed Murphy, though, on just how long Fouts can expect to pitch today with her injury. Fouts was sporting a big knee brace on her left knee, fidgeting with it a bit in the middle of the fourth inning.

Murphy, with his team facing a 1-0 deficit, was more concerned about what happens at the plate offensively.

“We need to get a lead and then we’ll see what happens, because I have 100%, there’s nobody else I’d rather have out there than her,” Murphy told Rowe. “How about that?”

Alabama fell to the loser’s bracket at the Women’s College World Series when it lost to Tennessee 10-5 on Thursday.