Stanford softball eliminates Alabama from 2023 WCWS
OKLAHOMA CITY − The Stanford softball team eliminated Alabama from the Women's College World Series on Friday with a 2-0 victory.
The Crimson Tide ends its season at 45-22 following the 14th WCWS appearance in school history, and says goodbye to one of its most iconic stars in fifth-year senior Montana Fouts, who notched her 100th career victory in the Super Regional round. Alabama went 0-2 in the WCWS.
A few observations:
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Tide offense lacking
Stanford pitcher Alana Vawter was outstanding, and the offensive woes that plagued the Crimson Tide at times this season returned with ill-timing. Vawter allowed only one hit, an Ashley Prange two-out single, through the first five-plus innings. Mixing speeds and keeping the UA lineup off balance, she struck out five without a walk before yielding to reliever NiJaree Canady with one out and the bases empty in the sixth. Vawter retired Alabama's leadoff batter in each of the first six innings.
Fouts delivers
Alabama ace pitcher Montana Fouts kept the Crimson Tide close, allowing only one run through six innings on a second-inning RBI double into right-center field. From there, Fouts retired 11 of the next 12 batters, cruising through the middle innings with 1-2-3 frames in the fourth and fifth, but Stanford added an insurance run with a Sydney Steele solo home run in the seventh. In the final game of her career, Fouts threw a complete-game five-hitter without a walk, and four strikeouts.
Robbed of a hit
UA left fielder Jenna Johnson provided the defensive gem of the game for the Crimson Tide on a screaming line drive by Stanford's Aly Kaneshiro in the sixth. Johnson got an excellent read on the ball and snared the catch above her head just before running into the left-field wall.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23 and the Talkin' Tide podcast. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Stanford softball eliminates Alabama from 2023 WCWS
