WCWS Hero: We Pay Tribute to Montana Fouts’ Perfect Game Friday by Highlighting Key Moments of Her Career!

You don’t see perfection very often in life and after Friday’s amazing performance by Montana Fouts in blanking #2 seed UCLA with 14 strikeouts and a perfect game, we honor Montana by running some of our favorite articles we’ve done on her over the last couple years.

In 2018, for instance we her ranked in the Top 10 of her class… this is what we said:

8—Montana Fouts, P, Louisville Lady Sluggers (Alabama)
While most of her peers will be battling for travel ball National Championships this summer, Montana will be playing against teams in Japan with her Alabama Crimson Tide program and getting valuable experience against elite international competition. It will be a great way to start her college career after she’s ripped up the record books at the high school level. Playing varsity since the sixth grade, Montana has all the physical tools at 6-foot-2 and the ability to hit 70 mph-plus on the radar gun. She was the Extra Inning Softball National Player of the Week for April 29, 2018 when she pitched two perfect games and a one hitter, but that’s been representative of her entire final prep season at East Carter (Grayson, Kentucky) High as she’s gone 26-0 and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 155 innings pitched while striking out 335. As part of that amazing record, she’s pitched six perfect games and thrown 10 no-hitters. And as if that weren’t enough she’s hitting .608 with 51 RBI. Last season with the Beverly Bandits, Montana won a PGF 16U National Championship and another title at Triple Crown/USA Nationals. Says Tide Head Coach Patrick Murphy: “Montana has incredible potential as a dominant pitcher for us. She has the size, speed and movement … will continue the tradition of great pitching at Alabama.”

Obviously, we wish we could have had her closer to the top, but there were some other good players in the Top 10 who are impressing now including pitcher Megan Faraimo (UCLA), catcher Ally Shipman (Tennessee), infielder Baylee Klingler (Washington), infielder Grace Lyons (Oklahoma) 

As you’ll see from just a few of the pieces we’ve run on her (below), Montana’s been a special talent for many years now!

So here we go,  from oldest to newest, mentions of Montana (and notice that she’s thrown more than a few PERFECT GAMES over her career)!

*****

Extra Inning Softball National Player of the Week (April 29, 2018)

Originally published April 29, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball

Montana Fouts (East Carter, Grayson, Kentucky)

Softball may have been the furthest thing from Montana Fouts mind Saturday as she went to her school prom—“Enchanted Forest” was the theme—after playing high softball games each of the three nights leading up to her day off yesterday.

Based on the season she’s had so far, the Kentucky high school standout was well deserving of a night away from the playing field.

Montana has had one of the most storied high school careers of recent memory as she’s won every type of honor—from USA Today All-American to Gatorade State Player of the Year—and as impressive as that sounds, this—her senior season—may be her best.

For the season, the 6-foot-2 University of Alabama signee is 19-0 and in 109 innings pitched has struck out 244 opposing batter while only giving up five walks. One run was scored in the third game of the season but that was unearned. And opponents are hitting a measly .047 against her. Even her fielding percentage of .971 is impressive.

She’s also shining offensively as she’s batting .579 with 35 RBI and an on-base percentage of .630.

The Raiders are 21-0 added three more dominating wins this week in 17-0, 5-0, and 12-0 shutouts in consecutive nights—Wednesday, Thursday and Friday—and look poised to go deep into the Kentucky playoffs which start in three weeks.

In the first game, Montana only pitched three innings because it was a blowout, but struck out six and didn’t allow a baserunner. In game two, she gave up a bunt single in a seven inning complete game with 16 K’s and then Friday struck out 12 in a five inning shortened perfect game—her sixth of the season to date.

To recap: 15 innings pitched, one hit allowed and 34 strikeouts. At the plate, she went 5-for-6 with eight RBIs, three walks, two doubles and two home runs.

What’s helped her become even more dominant this year?

“I’d say this year my curve is working and I’m hitting spots better,” she told Extra Inning Softball late Friday after her perfect game.  I’m throwing harder and my change-up is improved, but probably the main thing is last year I was 67-68 mph but not consistent; this year, I’m 68-71 mph consistently.”

Montana has a lot of softball ahead of her, both finishing out her high school career, but also playing this summer with the Louisville Lady Sluggers, but she won’t be playing a complete schedule with the club team.

The dominating hurler will head to Alabama on July 16^th to practice with Patrick Murphy’s Tide team and then will head to Japan for 10 days as the SEC team will play games against Japanese teams. The team will return August 4 before Montana returns to Kentucky for about three weeks before leaving for her freshman year of college.

“It’s exciting,” she concluded. “I’m looking forward to finishing out my senior season and then having fun in the summer including getting to meet and play with my future college teammates.”

******

Extra Inning Softball 2018 1st Team All-Americans—Multi-Purpose

Originally posted June 29, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball

Today we focus on the “Multi-Purpose” players who excel playing two or more positions or are outstanding in several areas, for example, a pitcher who is also an outstanding hitter (like UCLA’s Rachel Garcia, who won the National Player of the Year Award because of her dual threat in the circle and at the plate).

Congrats to all those who made this year’s lists!

USA Softball Jr. National Tryout Completed… Players Comment on Their Experiences

Originally published Jan. 1, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball

The New Year has come and the USA Softball Jr. National Team Tryout has gone, completed Tuesday morning as the 42 participants wrapped up their stay in Clearwater, Florida.

Wednesday morning the final 20 who will make the team for 2019 will be announced.

Later in the year, the Jr. Women’s National Team (JWNT) will be pared to 17 to compete in the WSBC Junior Women’s World Championship in Irvine, California from August 11-17.

We spoke to several of the participants on how they felt this week’s Jr. National Team tryouts went; below are their comments…

*****

Megan Faraimo has been ranked as the #1 player the Class of 2018 by Extra Inning Softball, won Gatorade National Player of the Year and Extra Inning Softball 1^st Team All-American honors and is a freshman at UCLA. Gatorade National Player of the Year and Extra Inning Softball 1st Team All-American honors and is a freshman at UCLA.

After this weekend, she also earned the respect of all her peers after pitching impressively in Clearwater.

Said Megan before flying back to Southern California today: “Being at the tryout was an honor and I hope to fulfill my aspirations of representing my country through USA Softball. In terms of the work leading up to this point, there were definitely sacrifices, sweat, pain and sometimes frustration- but it was all for the game that I love, so it was worth it.”

Megan says she tried to take to heart the advice given by Head Coach Heather Tarr before the players took the field.

“The tryouts started off with Coach Tarr reminding us to have fun and enjoy the moment, so that’s what I tried to do,” the UCLA pitcher explained. “I felt so honored and blessed to compete and play with some of the best players and coaches in the nation. It was a competitive atmosphere, and I knew I needed my A-game every time I stepped into the circle.

*****

Another pitcher who drew raves this week was Montana Fouts, the freshman hurler at Alabama who some said was hitting in the low 70’s.

Whatever the gun said, she was throwing heat and some of the top hitters saw they couldn’t touch her speed. She reportedly had double-digit strikeouts the first day she pitched and probably gave up just a half dozen hits during the entire tryout.

“This weekend was so fun, getting to meet a lot of new friends is something I’ll never forget! It was such an honor playing on the field with all the talent there and playing with all the competitive athletes.”

“Just having the chance to be around great coaches all weekend was a lot of fun too. I think it was really cool how we all meshed together so we’ll never playing with each other, and we had a lot of fun on and off the field for the first time meeting each other!

“I thought everyone had a great weekend I think every defensive and offensive player there was amazing and I’d love to play with all of them! It was great talking to other pitchers and just picking their brains on how they think and throw pitches and how batters think hitting too.”

I had a lot of fun this weekend, but you can never be satisfied! But I want to say thanks to all the coaches and players and everyone who made that weekend possible, it’s something I’ll never forget!”

*****

Kassidy Krupit, the freshman infielder at Baylor, had a strong tryout according to many scouts we spoke with as she went 5-for-11 at the plate including a home run to center field.

Kassidy said after the games wrapped up on Monday, “I think I did well hitting off the best pitching in the country.”

“I’m not only proud of myself for getting invited, but I am proud of myself for putting everything out there on the field and giving my all.”

The Georgia native, who had a strong fall for the Bears and looks to be a starter on the left side of the field, played third and second during the tryout.

Asked what it was like to play on a field “auditioning” to compete in Team USA colors, Kassidy added: “I was very excited and also nervous just because it’s a big stage to play on. I honestly just felt like all of my hard work has paid off tremendously!”

*****

Pitcher/infielder Sydney Supple, a 2019 grad who signed in November 2019, also agree that it was an exhilarating experience playing in a jersey representing her country.

“These last three days have been ones I’ll never forget being able to wear USA across my chest and play alongside and compete against the best of the best!”

Said one on-looker: “(Sydney) did everything she could to make the team, she left it all on the field at the end of the day.”

One top hitter said the future Wildcat pitched “really well the second day and struck out a lot (of batters) because of her change in speeds.”

*****

Kelli Godin, the speedy outfielder from Seal Beach, California and a freshman at UCLA, had to go through the Open Tryout last week to be invited to the JWNT Invite Tryout, but she showed why she was considered one of the top players in the 2018 class.

Adept at putting the ball on the ground and then beating it out with her big-time track speed, Kelli admitted she had some butterflies leading up to the Open Tryout.

“It was a fun and exciting experience being able to play with the top players in the country,” she said today. “I was pretty nervous in the days leading up to the tryout but once I got on the field with all the girls, my nerves went away. It was a very competitive environment and, overall, I think everyone did well.

*****

Jayda Coleman, the Extra Elite 100 top-ranked players in the 2020 class, believed she started slow but those who watched thought she showed her skills more and more as the tryout went out.

The smooth-fielding infielder committed to Oklahoma said candidly about her own performance: “It was a little nerve racking at first but when I was able to get out of my head and relax, I started to have a good time and play better.”

Knowing that more than half the attendees won’t make it, Jayda admits she’d be bummed, but looks on the bright side too.

“I know it’s an honor to just be invited, but I would be disappointed in myself. The only good side of not making the team is going back to Texas Glory to play alongside my best friends and spending my summer traveling with them again.”

*****

The pitching appeared to dominate early and one of those that shined was Lexi Kilfoyl, the state-title winning hurler/hitter from Florida.

In a rotation where the pitchers would face four batters each “half inning,” and would pick up where they left off until they pitched through the entire line-up, the 2019 grad who signed with Alabama faced approximately three dozen hitters and struck out 17 while only giving up four hits and one unearned run.

Not surprisingly, she was happy with her Jr. National Team tryout.

“I felt very strong about my performance,” she said. “I kind of kept count in my head how many hits and walks I had given up and they were very low. It definitely was both enjoyable and nerve racking at the same time!”

“It was nerve racking in the sense that I wasn’t sure of how I was going to throw because I didn’t know many of the hitters well, but at the same time it was also enjoyable because I got to meet lots of new people from everywhere in the United States.”

*****

Extra Feedback: Extra Inning Softball’s List of Who Impressed the Players

(This list is based on input from several participants we talked to who competed on the field. Note: the list was an informal, non-extensive one and does NOT mean those who weren’t mentioned were unimpressive; it simply includes players who were recognized for performing well.)

* OF Ciara Briggs (2019, LSU)
* IF/OF Jayda Coleman (2020, Oklahoma)
* C Julia Cottrill (2019, Florida)
* C Gabi Deters (2019, Kentucky)
* P Megan Faraimo (freshman, UCLA)
* P Montana Fouts (freshman, Alabama)
* OF Kelli Godin (freshman, UCLA)
* IF Frankie Hammoude (freshman, Oregon State)
* P Lexi Kilfoyl (2019, Alabama)
* 3B Kassidy Krupit (freshman, Baylor)
* IF Taylor Pleasants (2019, LSU)
*3B Jazmyn Rollin (freshman, Missouri)
* P/IF Sydney Supple (2019, Northwestern)
* OF/UT Lexi Voss (2019, Michigan)

*****

Breaking News: 3 Finalists Named for 2019 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year

Originally published May 21, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball; note: Danielle Williams would eventually be named the winner.

Minnesota’s Natalie DenHartog, Alabama’s Montana Fouts and Northwestern’s Danielle Williams are the three finalists for the 2019 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award.

The winner will be announced on the evening of May 28 at the 2019 NCAA Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City.

Fouts is the seventh top-three finalist to represent the Southeastern Conference and the second from Alabama. DenHartog is the second Golden Gopher, while Williams is the first to don a Wildcat jersey as the duo doubled the Big Ten’s number of finalists to four.

Here’s a closer look at the three finalists…

*****

Natalie DenHartog

An NFCA All-Great Lakes First Teamer, DenHartog leads the Big Ten with 59 RBI, which is ranked 11^th in the NCAA.

She is batting .392 with 15 doubles two triples and 16 home runs through 56 games and is one of the keys to Minnesota’s second Super Regional appearance in program history.

The Gopher cleanup hitter has a team-leading .830 slugging percentage and 127 total bases. Three of the Hopkins, Minn. native’s 16 long balls have been grand slams.

She earned unanimous All-Big Ten First Team and All-Freshman Team honors.

Montana Fouts

Fouts, the SEC Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference selection, is 14-3 this season with a 1.20 ERA, which is second lowest in the SEC and ranks 14^th nationally.

She has struck out 164 batters over 146 innings, twirled five shutouts, picked up five saves and is holding her opposition to a .167 batting average.

Named to the NFCA’s All-South Region First Team, the rookie hurler has picked up victories over nationally-ranked opponents, Arizona, Georgia, Florida and two against Minnesota.

Fouts, a native of Grayson, Ky., earned five weekly honors from the SEC, including a program-record four Freshman of the Week accolades.

Danielle Williams

Williams led the Big Ten this season with 31 wins and 13 shutouts, ranking tied for third and fourth in the nation, respectively,

It is the most victories and shutouts for a Northwestern pitcher in her rookie season since 1984. Williams, the first Big Ten Freshman of the Year since 2004, is also ranked among the top 10 in the nation with 310 strikeouts (6^th) and 9.7 strikeouts per seven innings (9^th), while posting a 1.38 ERA with just 39 walks and a .161 batting average against.

The rookie southpaw has played a pivotal role in Northwestern’s first Super Regional appearance since 2008. Williams, a native of Pleasanton, Calif., earned first team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region accolades.

All three finalists will be competing in Super Regionals this weekend as DenHartog’s Gophers host LSU, Fouts’ Crimson Tide hosts Texas and Williams’ Wildcats travel to Oklahoma.

In its sixth year, the Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes.

The top three and the winner are voted on by the NFCA’s Division I All-American Committee, consisting of one head coach from each of the Association’s 10 regions.

Previous Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Winners

• 2018 – Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma
• 2017 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA
• 2016 – Amanda Lorenz, Florida
• 2015 – Paige Parker, Oklahoma
• 2014 – Annie Aldrete, Tennessee & Kasey Cooper, Auburn

*****

WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup: Team USA Gets Second (Run-Ruled) Perfect Game in a Row

Originally published Aug. 12, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball

The U-19 Women’s National Team (WNT) put on an offensive showcase in route to a 15-0 victory over Botswana in three innings for the team’s second victory at the World Baseball Softball Classic (WBSC) U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup and Montana Fouts (Grayson, Ky.) was lights out in the circle for Team USA tossing the second straight perfect game for The U.S.

Charla Echols (Newnan, Ga.) started the scoring for Team USA in the first inning with a two-run home run to give The Eagles an early 2-0 lead.

A string of singles from Team USA and doubles from Skylar Wallace (Woodstock, Ga.) and Bailey Dowling (St. joseph, Ill.) gave the U.S. a 9-0 lead in the first inning.

“I think that was a good thing for our team to get ahead and give our pitcher an early lead,” Echols said. “I’m glad that we could do that for our pitcher right at the beginning.”

A monster three-run home run from pinch hitter Lexi Kilfoyl (Land O’Lakes, Fla.) in the second inning gave the U.S. a 12-0 lead. Team USA had 14 hits in the game, six of which went for extra bases.

“When I stepped in the box I just tried to stay calm, put the ball in play and do what I know how to do,” Kilfoyl said. “It just so happened to be a home run so that was good to help save the pitcher to get her out of the game earlier.”

Fouts threw six straight strikeouts in the first and second inning to keep Botswana off the base path. The U.S. would push across two more runs in the third inning to secure the three-inning run rule victory.

Fouts was perfect through all three innings of work registering eight strikeouts and retiring all nine batters in order.

Twenty of Team USA’s 21 total outs at the 2019 WBSC U-19 World Cup have come via strikeout with Megan Faraimo (Vista, Calif.) tossing a 12-strikeout perfect game in Team USA’s four inning victory over Mexico to open the tournament.

“I think it just really helps our offense get in there quicker,” Fouts said of the back-to-back perfect performances. “It keeps us on a roll and having shutdown innings.”

Team USA will be back in action on August 12 at 8 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. CT against No. 15 Czech Republic in their third pool play matchup of the tournament. A win against Czech Republic would secure The U.S. a top seeded spot in the Super Round which begins on August 13.

Free live streaming of all games and live stats will be available throughout the WBSC U-19 World Cup and fans at home can follow along with recaps and more at USASoftball.com.

*****

WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup

August 11-17 | Irvine, Calif.

Date	Opponent	Time	Media
August 10	U-19 WNT 15, No. 5 Mexico 0	8 p.m. PT	Box Score | Recap
August 11	U-19 WNT 15, No. 43 Botswana 0	8 p.m. PT	Box Score | Recap
August 12	No. 15 Czech Republic	8 p.m. PT	Live Stats | Live Streaming
August 13-17	TBD	TBD	Live Stats | Live Streaming

• Group A: Team USA, Mexico, Czech Republic, Botswana
• Group B: Japan, Australia, Italy, South Africa
• Group C: Puerto Rico, China, Brazil, Ireland
• Group D: Canada, Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, New Zealand