The last 17 days culminated in a celebratory, glorious yell for Montana Fouts.

The graduate senior left an 8 a.m. MRI in Arkansas two Saturdays ago while many questioned if her great collegiate run had ended. Fouts then turned into a spectator as Alabama pushed through its NCAA regional last weekend. Tide head coach Patrick Murphy said Fouts was at “about 70%.” But that didn’t matter. It’s not like Fouts was going to miss her last series in front of a raucous Rhoads Stadium.

“I have been telling myself and everybody that I’ve been feeling like a million bucks for the past couple weeks and I’m gonna stick to that,” Fouts said.

And while facing the brink of her career on back-to-back days, an Alabama legend saved one of her best chapters for the end. Fouts dropped her camouflage knee brace to the dirt as she struck out Northwestrn’s Hannah Cady to send the Tide to the Women’s College World Series.

Fouts relished the 100th win of her career at the bottom of a pile, cheers surrounding her while a team aide ripped open a box full of commemorative hats. Fouts is almost guaranteed to be honored along the outfield wall among Alabama’s other legends one day, but the Tide’s 3-2 win on Sunday gave Fouts another chance to add to her legacy with a title.

When Fouts hyperextended her left leg on May 11 against Arkansas, social media was flooded with thoughts and prayers. Meanwhile, Fouts’ best friend and senior outfielder Jenna Johnson stayed in Fouts’ hotel room til 3 a.m., past curfew as Fouts would later joke, and consoled her teammate. She told Fouts she’d come back before the end of the season and they’d head to the World Series for the first in two years.

Johnson was right and her Sunday home run paired with Fouts’ effort to give Alabama a 3-2 win and a 14th trip to Oklahoma City.

The morning after Fouts hurt herself, Murphy received a call from Jeff Allen, UA’s director of sports medicine. To Murphy’s surprise, Allen explained Fouts’ rehab plan over a 30-minute conversation. Later that morning, Fouts was undergoing testing and had an appointment booked with a specialist two days later.

“Every athletic trainer I think we have here at the University of Alabama has helped us the past couple weeks get to where I’m at today to be able to walk with a brace on and play the game I love. I’m beyond words grateful for that,” Fouts said.

Fouts repeatedly fidgeted with her brace in her first appearance on Friday night as the Tide dropped the opener 3-1. And while Fouts looked better on Saturday in relief of Jaala Torrence and dominant on Sunday aside from allowing a solo home run, Northwestern coach Kate Drohan said Fouts didn’t appear to miss a beat. Wildcats freshman Kelsey Nader echoed the sentiment, calling Fouts an all-time great.

Murphy continued: “Everybody had a hand in her healing.

“To have Montana as kind of like the relief specialist. I mean, who wouldn’t want a four-time All-American as the reliever? That’s gotta be tough for another team. Look over there and says, ‘Oh we got rid of the starter, but who’s coming in? Montana Fouts.’ That’s gotta be a punch in the gut to the hitters on the other side. I thought it was a really good combination.”

Across the weekend, Fouts pitched 9 2-3 innings, striking out eight and allowing three earned runs. Each time her name was read out through the concourse, the Tide faithful rose to their feet and cheered. They didn’t want to see a legend wear her uniform for the last time. Thanks to Fouts and a whirlwind rehab, they didn’t.

“If you would’ve told me that this year in August or January when we came back everything that would’ve happened I would’ve said that you were lying,” Fouts said. “But I would do it 14 times over again. Everything. Every single thing that’s happened. The injury, the conversations, the losses because everything has brought us to this moment and I think that all of those things are why we’re going.”

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].