To the average person, softball is a close relative of baseball, not a distant one. Aside from the lack of grass on the infield, the absence of a mound, the different style of pitching and a larger ball, how much difference is there, really?
That question rings true for plenty of people — until an injury occurs to a prominent softball pitcher.
Pitcher injuries are common in baseball, but pitcher usage is also much different than in softball. Rarely will a starting pitcher — who won’t typically be seen for another five days — start and finish the same game, thus diminishing their importance. Softball doesn’t have that luxury. A team’s best pitcher is almost always inside the chalk circle, so an injury can present a major problem.
And that’s exactly what Alabama is encountering as it begins its quest for a Women’s College World Series championship. The No. 5 overall seed in the tournament might be without its ace for the foreseeable future.
MORE: NCAA softball tournament regional bracket, TV schedule
Here is the latest on the injury to Crimson Tide star pitcher Montana Fouts:
Montana Fouts injury update
Fouts is considered day to day with a hyperextended left knee, according to Alabama coach Patrick Murphy.
“It’s really, truly day to day,” Murphy told…
