Recapping Alabama’s 1-0 loss to Stanford in the Women’s College World Series

Five-seed Alabama softball needed a run in Oklahoma City to win its second-ever national championship.

But after consecutive losses to Tennessee and Stanford, the Tide’s 14th trip to the Women’s College World Series ended without a victory. Here’s how it went down:

RELATED: ‘Story of our season:’ Alabama softball’s resilience to be tested at WCWS

7TH INNING

Top: Alabama hasn’t allowed a base runner since the third inning as Fouts is doing what she can to keep the Tide in it. But that changed with a solo home run by Steele, a massive insurance run for the Cardinal. Stanford 2, Alabama 0

Bottom: NiJaree Canady made it a 1-2-3 inning to end not only the game, but Alabama’s season as well. Stanford 2, Alabama 0

6TH INNING

Top: A jumping grab by Johnson took an extra-base hit away from Aly Kaneshiro. Fouts has now retired 11 batters in a row. Stanford 1, Alabama 0

Bottom: After recording one out in the sixth, Vawter exited the game in favor of freshman NiJaree Canady, the nation’s leader in ERA. She struck out Prange and then Kaitlyn Lim made a shoestring catch in right field. Three outs left for the Tide. Stanford 1, Alabama 0

5TH INNING

Top: Another clean inning for Fouts, this one on six pitches. The Tide huddled before entering the dugout.

Bottom: Two more strikeouts for Vawter as both pitchers are cruising through the middle innings. Stanford 1, Alabama 0

4TH INNING

Top: Fouts registered her first 1-2-3 inning of the evening and brought the heart of the Tide’s order up. She’s retired eight of the last nine batters since Steele’s RBI double. Stanford 1, Alabama 0

Bottom: Vawter may have found her groove this inning. She struck out Cahalan and Ally Shipman to start the frame. River Mahler then had a back-hand pick and jump throw to get Dowling out. Alabama has nine outs to plate a run.

3RD INNING

Top: Emily Young singled to right field with one out but nothing came of it.

Bottom: A ground out and swinging strikeout by the bottom of Alabama’s order brought up Prange with two outs. She smacked a single up the middle for the Tide’s first hit. A wild pitch sent Prange to second base and triggered a mound visit by Stanford coaches. Tough break for Alabama, though, as Jenna Johnson’s grounder was deflected in the circle and led to a groundout. Stanford 1, Alabama 0

2ND INNING

Top: Another leadoff base runner for the Cardinal, this time after Emily Schultz dunked an opposite-field single to left field. The sacrifice bunt was successful this time as Schultz moved to second base. Stanford was also successful in bringing the run home as well as Sydney Steele doubled Schultz home for the game’s opening run. Fouts struck out the next to batters looking to keep the score at Stanford 1, Alabama 0.

Bottom: Bailey Dowling became Alabama’s first base runner after a throwing error by Stanford’s shortstop Emily Young. She rebounded on the next play, however, giving the Tide a runner on second with two outs. Kali Heivilin lined out to first base as we head to the third. Stanford 1, Alabama 0.

1ST INNING

Top: Taylor Gindelsperger worked the count full against Fouts to start the game. She then lined a ball off the shortstop’s glove and with the deflection, Gindelsperger got to second base. Fouts recorded the next two outs by catching a pop-up and fielding a ball hit back toward her. Alabama left the runner stranded with a ground ball to second base. Stanford 0, Alabama 0

Bottom: Gindelsperger robbed Ashley Prange of a hit with a diving catch in shallow center field. Two more flyouts for Jenna Johnson and Kenleigh Cahalan end the first inning.

LINEUPS

--Montana Fouts will start in potentially her last collegiate game. Opposing her for Stanford will be Alana Vawter, who pitched a scoreless inning against Oklahoma on Thursday.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.