<p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Montana Fouts struck out 16 and allowed two hits in a complete-game victory, helping No. 3 seed Alabama beat Arizona 5-1 on Thursday night in the Women’s College World Series opener for both teams. </p>
<p>Fouts threw 103 pitches, including 73 strikes. The first-team NFCA All-American lost her shutout when Jessie Harper hit a solo homer with two out in the seventh inning.</p>
<p>It was Alabama’s 19th straight win. The Crimson Tide last loss on April 17.</p>
<p>Alabama (51-7) will play the winner of the UCLA-Florida State game in a winners bracket contest Friday night. No. 11 seed Arizona (41-14) will play the loser of that matchup in an elimination game on Saturday.</p>
<p>Alabama opened the scoring in the first inning when Jenna Johnson singled and Bailey Hemphill scored an unearned run on a fielding error.</p>
<p>Hemphill launched a solo homer over the left field fence in the bottom of the third. It was the 13th blast of the season for the school’s career home run leader.</p>
<p>Fouts took a no-hitter into the fourth inning, but Arizona’s Janelle Meono broke it up leading off the inning. The Crimson Tide ended the inning with a double play.</p>
<p>Alabama put up three insurance runs in the sixth. Maddie Morgan had an RBI double, and Abby Doerr hit a two-run homer to make it 5-0. It was Doerr’s second homer of the season.</p>
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<p>Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>.</p>
