TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Third-seeded Alabama topped Clemson, 6-0, in the matchup of first-game winners on Saturday in front of a full Rhoads Stadium. The Tigers (43-7) scattered four hits against Alabama starter Montana Fouts, who struck out 16 Clemson batters to tie her career high.
The Crimson Tide (47-7) hit eight singles off of Clemson starter Valerie Cagle in piecing together their six runs. McKenzie Clark and Alia Logoleo each went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles off Fouts, but the Tigers were otherwise unable to get much going off the Alabama righty.
Alabama opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third after loading the bases on three infield singles, including back-to-back bunts, with no outs. Then, Crimson Tide catcher Bailey Hemphill came up with a two-RBI bloop single that landed in shallow right field.
Fouts (23-3) tied her career-high 16 strikeouts on the final out of the game and did not walk a batter or allow a runner past second base in 7.0 shutout innings. Cagle gave up just two earned runs in 5.2 innings of work, but fell to 27-6 on the year.
Tigers will take on Troy on Saturday night in an Elimination Game.