Montana Fouts delivered a four-hit shutout of the Carolina Blaze at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, helping Utah Talons extend their seven-game winning streak and surge into first place in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
When the Carolina Blaze threatened in the middle innings, it wasn’t the long ball that decided the game. It was speed, reaction, and a quick throw back to first.
On Friday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., Utah Talons pitcher Montana Fouts produced a four-hit shutout of the Carolina Blaze—an outing that became the sixth complete-game shutout in Athletes Unlimited Softball League history.
Utah jumped in front early, plating two runs on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and adding pressure with a throw that created an error in the top of the first. The lead grew in the fourth when Sarah Gordon delivered an RBI double.
Fouts looked in control from the start. She retired the first six batters before a leadoff single in the third ended the streak. She responded immediately, striking out Aleshia Ocasio and Aubrey Leach to finish the frame. Utah left two more runners stranded in the fourth, but Fouts kept the shutout intact.
Then came the kind of moment pitchers live for—and dread—because one mistake can flip everything. In the sixth, with two outs, Dakota Kennedy tapped a grounder toward the right of the mound. Fouts charged, made a barehanded play, and fired to first in time.
An inning later, she closed it out with a strikeout of Alyssa Brito. It was her fifth complete game of the season, and her fifth win—both leading marks in the AUSL.
Utah’s seven straight wins have now carried them into first place, and Fouts has been central to how they got there—dominating in the circle, then doing the work herself when the Blaze finally made contact that mattered.
Utah Talons Montana Fouts Athletes Unlimited Softball League AUSL Carolina Blaze Durham Bulls Athletic Park shutout complete game
So she threw a shutout but it says she “created an error” too?? Like was it her pitching or the team messing up lol
Utah in first place already? Not surprised, I feel like their girls always play fast. That barehanded play to first sounds insane, I’d need replay like 10 times.
Wait I thought shutouts were only if nobody gets on base, but they had hits and stuff so how is it a shutout?? Maybe I’m mixing it with cricket or something, but the headline is confusing.
6th shutout in AUSL history is cool but I’m stuck on the part where it says “six complete-game shutouts” like… does that mean only six ever?? Also Durham Bulls Park sounds familiar, is that the baseball stadium where they play big league stuff? Either way, give her the ball, shutout energy.