KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan softball team continues on the road this week with a single game against the No. 9 University of Alabama on Tuesday, March 7th. Tuesday's contest is scheduled for 7 pm and will be available via ESPN+, live stats, and radio broadcast. 
 
ALABAMA (17-3 Overall)
The No. 9 Crimson Tide (2023 USA Today/ NFCA D1Top 25 Coaches Poll - Week 3) host Western Michigan following an 8-0 victory over Longwood and another 8-0 win against Mercer this past Sunday. Against Longwood, Montana Fouts threw the eighth perfect game in program history as part of a pair of Sunday shutouts. Fouts' perfect game was the third of her career. The offense saved her an inning of work, scoring seven runs to secure the run-rule victory. In the second game against Mercer, the Tide scored three runs in the third and started to add distance with four runs in the fourth. Alabama sealed the 8-0 win with a last run in the fifth. 
 
So far this season, the Tide have received firepower off the bat from infielder Kenleigh Cahalan, who posts a batting average of .400 and a slugging percentage of .800 with 22 hits and 17 runs batted in. Ashley Prange has also been crucial for Alabama at the plate this season, batting .375 while posting a slugging percentage of .839. Prange records 21 hits, 20 runs, and eight home runs on the year.
 
In the circle, Alabama is led by Fouts, who posts a 9-1 record with an earned run average of 1.69. Fouts records 107 strikeouts while going the distance for a total of 61 innings pitched. Fouts has thrown 25 straight scoreless innings to beat her previous career-long of 24 set in 2021. Fouts has 965 career strikeouts and is 35 away from becoming the fifth Tide player to reach 1,000.
 
WESTERN MICHIGAN (5-7 Overall)
The Broncos head to the University of Alabama following an 0-3 series with North Alabama. Over the weekend, WMU registered 18 hits and totaled four RBIs from Riley Chumbley, Alyssa Kramer, Courtney Farrish, and Payton Kelly. Chumbley went 4-for-6 at the plate, while Bella Gerlach and Taylor Wolfe batted .500 going 1-for-2. Addison Hudson went 2-for-5 for a .429 batting average.
 
Chumbley proved to be a true talent in the three-game series with North Alabama. In six plate appearances, she achieved a .667 batting average with four hits and one RBI. The Floyd Knobs, Ind. native showcased her ability to consistently make contact with the ball and get on base with a slugging percentage and on-base percentage of .667. In Saturday's doubleheader against UNA, Chumbley went 1-for-2 in both games and hit singles in the fifth and seventh innings. On Sunday, she delivered an RBI single which put WMU ahead 2-0 in the top of the first.
 
Hudson leads the march offensively for the Broncos, batting .500  to rank first for batting average in the conference and 14th nationally. The junior outfielder records 15 hits, three runs, and five 5 RBIs. She also ranks fourth in the conference and 59th nationally for on-base percentage at 0.531. 
 
Farrish follows just behind, batting .382 with 13 hits, including six doubles. She adds two home runs and eight RBIs this season for a total of 25 bases. Farrish ranks first in the conference for doubles per game at .50 and seventh nationally. To add to her impressive batting, she ranks fourth toughest to strike out in the MAC and 32nd nationally at 34.0.
 
Alyssa Kramer is a force to watch this season, batting an average of .361. She tallies 13 hits with two doubles, 11 runs, one homer, and four RBIs. Kramer ranks 6th in the MAC for doubles, fifth for runs per game, and seventh for toughest to strike out at 18.0. 
 
Rissa Bajusz comes in with an ERA of 2.68 on a record of 2-1 with 34 innings pitched,  28 K's, and an opposing batting average of just .278 this year. Bajusz ranks second in the MAC for strikeout-to-walk ratio at 4.00. Autumn Godwin goes the distance for WMU, pitching 22.1 innings in eight appearances and five starts. With a 3-3 record, Godwin records an ERA of 2.19 with 13 strikeouts, and an opposing batting average of .244.

ON DECK 
Following Tuesday's matchup, the Broncos continue their stay in Alabama heading to Jacksonville for the 2023 JSU Gamecock Invite. Western Michigan will face Jackson State and Samford University on March 10-11 for a total of four games over the weekend.