Alabama softball falls to Stanford in regional play, eliminated from the post season

[ED.NOTE: Nobody at RBR wrote that new headline.]

A quick shower, a quick change, maybe a bite to eat, and it was back to the diamond for Alabama and Stanford for a winner-take-all. Too bad the Tide offense didn’t return.

GAME 7: STANFORD 6, ALABAMA 0

Once again, Montana Fouts was back in the circle for the Crimson Tide after throwing 135 pitches earlier in the day. Stanford went back to Alana Vawter who was shelled in Game 6 for four runs in two-thirds of an inning. This time around, it was a straight up pitcher’s duel... for awhile.

Fouts threw 23 pitches in the first inning. Vawter threw 8. It was not a good start.

Patrick Murphy impatiently went back to little ball. After Ally Shipman was hit by a pitch to start the second inning, hot-hitting Jenna Lord was asked to sacrifice bunt which she did successfully. But Kaylee Tow grounded out and Megan Bloodworth struck out. I’m not crazy about taking the bat out of the hands of the team’s hottest hitter just to move a runner over to second for Tow and Bloodworth. Thanks, Gut®.

After zeroes upon zeroes, Fouts finally broke down in the sixth inning. The Cardinal got a pair of singles followed by a ground out that moved the runners up a base. Almost every time in a situation like this, The Gut® walks the next batter, but he did not in this instance. The next batter hit a deep doubled to center that knocked in two runners and that was all it took. Dallis Goodnight almost made an amazing Willie Mays-like catch on the play but it ticked off her glove.

The next two batters were retired but Fouts got rocked in the inning. Even the outs were noisy. You cannot blame her. Her arm must feel like Jell-o.

Amazingly, Fouts came back out for the seventh even though she looked like she had just run a marathon with a piano on her back. The Cardinal duplicated the action of the previous inning (two singles and a sacrifice). This time, Murphy intentionally walked. The bases were cleared by a single and a throwing error. Murphy finally brought is Alex Salter who promptly gave up two more singles to push the deficit to 6-0.

403 pitches, Murph. Fouts threw 403 pitches over the weekend because you didn’t go out and get any pitchers in the off-season. The game has changed. Why haven’t you?

Bama gave their fans a little hope in the seventh when Lord led off with a single. The Gut® went all crazy with the lineup card fishing for miracles. After Tow struck out (she’s the one who should have been pinch-hit for), KJ Haney pinch hit for Bloodworth and grounded out. Abby Doerr pinch hit for Woodard and singled. Then Murphy went back to the Aubrey Barnhart well once again and it was dry once again as the pinch hitter grounded out to the pitcher for the final out of the season.

NOTES

*** Lollipop unicorn rainbow chasers, stop reading here lest ye get your feelings hurt! ***

Again to repeat: RBR brings you nothing but honest analysis. If you want sugar-coated B.S. shoved up your youknowwhat, there are plenty of sunshine pumpers out there to choose from. TURN AWAY! NOW!

• It was just too much to ask of Fouts to expect her to throw so many effective pitches within a 20+ hour window.
• Murphy’s number one priority in the off-season needs to be finding an experienced arm in the Transfer Portal. Second priority is to find Alyson Habetz a head caoching job somewhere and hire a hitting coach.
• Goodnight singled in the third inning. She has been swinging the bat much better lately. The balls just weren’t finding holes in the infield. Unfortunately, she was called out for leaving first base too soon (Habetz, I’m looking your way). This deep in the season, she should not be making that mistake any more. To compound it, Johnson followed up with a hit and Prange walked but Bama got no runs.
• Stanford got a couple of singles in the fourth but Bama turned a sweet double play.

• The Gut® had Kat Grill pinch hit for Bloodworth in the fifth inning and she struck out.
• Woodard was caught stealing to end the fifth inning.
• Tow struck out swinging in her final collegiate at bat.

MVPs

• FOUTS - a valiant effort
• LORD - 1 for 2, sac bunt, underappreciated by management.

UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE

On to #Team27.

R.H.T.S.

#Team26 #RollTide