Alabama Softball Shuts Out Arkansas, 2-0, Saturday in Series Opener

Saturday, March 18

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

4:30 p.m. CT

Alabama

22-6, 1-0

Arkansas

20-8, 1-3

Arkansas

Alabama

Alabama Softball Shuts Out Arkansas, 2-0, Saturday in Series Opener

3/18/2023 7:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

Jenna Johnson goes 3-for-3, Montana Fouts strikes out eight in the shutout

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball won a 2-0 pitcher's duel over Arkansas in the series opener Saturday night at Rhoads Stadium.

Alabama (22-6, 1-0 SEC) loaded the bases against Arkansas (20-8, 1-3 SEC) in the bottom of the second, with everyone moving up 60 feet on a passed ball to give the Crimson Tide the first lead of the game. An infield RBI single from Jenna Johnson in the fourth doubled the lead to 2-0 and Alabama loaded the bases again in the sixth with one out, but could not add to its two-run lead. The Razorbacks went down in order in the seventh, clinching the shutout for the Tide.

Montana Fouts (12-3) struck out eight while holding Arkansas to just two hits and no walks. The shutout is the 28th of her career, tying her for third all-time at Alabama with Alexis Osorio (2015-18). Jenna Johnson tied a career-high with three hits, including an RBI single, while Bailey Dowling added a double, her fifth of the season.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"This was a big win for us, especially with eight newcomers on the team that have never been in this kind of atmosphere at home. You give [Montana] Fouts the ball and she does what she does, and we were able to scratch a couple of runs across and our defense played great. The formula for SEC play is you have to get a good start from your pitching, you have to play great defense and then you hope for a key hit. [Bailey] Dowling and Jenna Johnson got the key hits for us today and Montana and the defense did the rest.

"Our senior days are an opportunity to celebrate one person on the team and you know it's a big thing here. We really just try to celebrate her all day long, and the fans do a great job celebrating her every time she gets up to bat."

From Ally Shipman

"Today was incredible. Just the love and support from everybody here - the girls, the support staff and every single person here - was awesome. I feel so loved from this family and when we say family, we really do mean it. This was a senior day of a lifetime and to come out with a win makes it even better."

Highlights

Alabama improves to 63-12 all-time vs. Arkansas, including a 33-2 mark in Tuscaloosa
The Tide has now won its SEC opener in in five of the last seven years
Alabama is 15-3 this season when scoring first
Jenna Johnson's three hits ties her career high, last doing so at South Carolina on March 27, 2022
The shutout was the 28th of Montana Fouts' career, moving her into a third-place tie with Alexis Osorio (2015-18) on the Alabama career rankings
With eight strikeouts tonight, Fouts is now 36 shy of tying fourth-place Shelley Laird on the Alabama career rankings with 1,045

Scoring Summary

B2 | A passed ball with the bases loaded allowed Jordan Stephens to score from third (1-0, 2 Out)
B4 | Bailey Dowling scored from third on an infield single from Jenna Johnson (2-0, 0 Out)

Up Next: vs. Arkansas (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sunday, March 19 – 5 p.m. CT – SEC Network
Monday, March 20 – 6 p.m. CT – SEC Network

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