May 18, 2012
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– Georgia Tech
Head Coach Sharon Perkins
Opening Statement: “It was a disappointing loss. I thought we had a good game plan at the plate against their pitcher. We were pretty successful. We had nine hits and hit a lot of other balls very deep. In a lot of other parks they would have gone out. We probably could have done a better job coming back after they put the runs up on the board. I think we just struggled in the circle today. Our defense was pretty good and I felt we hit the ball well enough to win.”
On what they were thinking going into the top of the seventh inning: “Our pitcher had to get in there and just shut them down. She’s done that throughout the season when she’s had the opportunity to do so. In the circle she didn’t seem to be herself. We kind of got out of some jams; we had some good pitches. In the end you have to find another gear and kick it up.”
#2, Shannon Bear, LF
On what kind of pressure this puts on them for tomorrow: “Obviously going into tomorrow with a loss means we get one game. We’ve tried to make that our mentality through post-season, so now it’s even more real. I don’t think it’s pressure really, it just gives us more fight than we had today.”
On what they can improve on: “I thought our approach to the plate was good. If we were just a little more aggressive we could have hit hard. We need to adjust as a defense when things are not going our way. We need to play together and fight to get out of situations like that.”
#45, Hope Rush, P
On what was making it so tough to pitch to them: “They were impatient and they were making me bring it to them. As pitcher, you have to adjust to that.”
South Alabama
Head Coach Becky Clark
Opening Statement: “It was an amazing win. I think that we say that over and over again. It has gotten redundant but I love that we do get to keep saying it over and over. These young ladies don’t quit. They never die. This has kind of been our M.O. all season long. There is no thinking that the game is over when you are behind, you fight to the very end. When you win, the student-athletes are the ones on the field getting it done. I cannot say enough about what a great job they did and what a great win this was for our program.”
On leaving 16 runners on base throughout the game “I can’t remember a game in the past where we have left 16 on and still got the win. I believe that it is a testament to them. Like I said, they don’t quit. It is easy to get frustrated in that position and start pressing at the plate. A thing they do an incredible job of is not letting the situation get to them. They are a very even-keeled approach; we try not to get too high or low. I think that we do a great job of that. Kaitlyn Griffith coming up and missing two bunts and then coming out with that huge hit, that is where are the swings in the cage pay off. She is one of our hardest working kids. It could not have happened to a more deserving young lady. You know that you want the ball game in her hands because she is a gamer. She is going to do everything she can to help her team.”
On the teams approach at the plate: “I thought that our offense was solid. We hit well, even with leaving 16 on base. We hit well we just couldn’t get that one big hit to break it open. I am starting to think that they just like to make it dramatic for our fans. They like to make it interesting. It seems like we do this over and over. I thought overall our approach at the plate was great. We talk a lot about being aggressive in the strike zone. After watching a lot of film on Georgia Tech, we really felt that we needed to make sure we were in the strike zone and not help them out by going for stuff outside of the strike zone. I thought that kids did a great job of that. When they put something there they put great swings on it.”
#12, Hannah Campbell, P
On Georgia Tech as a hitting team: “They are a great hitting team. When people are on base, you can’t think about that. When they get a hit you just have to shake it off and keep pitching. You go out there with your best and if they can hit it well then good for them. You do your best to shut them down and in the end we did.”
On her thoughts going into the last inning: “The end of the game is when you have to be at your strongest. I knew that I had to go out there and be my strongest. That is the inning that I really had to focus in the most and finish it.”
#21, Kaitlyn Griffith, 2B
On her big hit: “I knew I had to do something about those two missed bunts. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if Alex Breeden had not gotten that first big hit. She got us going and I just followed up with it. It was a great feeling. She threw it outside corner, and I got my bat on it and it was a great feeling.”
On the last innings: “We were very confident. We knew that we were on her. We had bases loaded; I think that we left 16 on base this game. We knew the whole time that we were going to pull it out. It was frustrating but it was to the point where you couldn’t let it get to you. We just had to keep pushing and know in the back of our minds that we were going to get them.”
