Jun. 6—OKLAHOMA CITY — Montana Fouts marked quite a big difference from how she celebrated her 20th birthday to how she celebrated her 21st.
Comparing one to the other might be similar to pondering the difference in scenery between the Texas panhandle and the Grand Canyon or a monotonous song to a full-on concert.
Her 20th birthday — and even her 19th — fell quite short to No. 21 on Friday.
A perfect game will do that.
“Last year, I didn’t get to spend it with my team and, the year before, I think we were on our way home,” Fouts said Friday after Alabama’s 6-0 win over UCLA in the Women’s College World Series.
“If anything, we got the win, and I’m just happy to be with my teammates right now.”
Fouts recorded the fifth individual perfect game in WCWS history — there has also been one combined perfect game — and the first since just before she was born.
Southern Miss’ Courtney Blades did it in 2000.
“I think I realized about the fifth inning that she was throwing a perfect game, but we all know the unwritten rule of never saying that they’re throwing the perfect game,” first baseman Kaylee Tow said. “I think we were just trying to be calm, cool, and collected, make the plays, to keep that for her and allow her to have that moment.
“No one wanted to talk about it until the end, but of course we went crazy there at the end for her.”
Fouts racked up 14 strikeouts and threw 65 of her 95 pitches for strikes against a team that entered the game with a .319 batting average.
“I honestly wasn’t really thinking about it,” Fouts said. “I don’t think you can think like that as a pitcher, as a player or even in the stands really, because I feel like I’m a superstitious person. But I don’t know — I was just locked in each pitch because I know that one swing away, they have momentum.”
It was the fifth individual perfect game in Alabama softball history. There has been one combined perfect game: Fouts and Sarah Cornell at Alabama State in February.
“A hell of a birthday present to herself,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “Just to watch greatness is pretty cool. All of you were a witness to it.”
Her dad, Tim, was noticeably nervous in the stands. The Kentucky native had her mom, two sisters and one brother cheering, too.
“I’m just so grateful for them,” Fouts said. “Obviously I wouldn’t be where I am without them. But I think that the most exciting part is we got the win, so I think that we’ll celebrate a little bit tonight and then we’re going to move on and get ready for the next one.”
Alabama (52-7), which has a 20-game win streak, advanced to the semifinals and needs one win today to advance to the best-of-3 championship series.
The Crimson Tide will play Oklahoma State, Arizona or Florida State at 2:30 p.m. If Alabama loses then, the teams will play again tonight.
Fouts, who threw a 16-strikeout two-hitter Thursday against Arizona, will be rested.
“She’s an awesome person and awesome friend and an awesome teammate, and it couldn’t happen to a better person,” Tow said. “I feel just blessed to be here, blessed to be a part of this team and blessed to play behind her.”