The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
#8 Georgia 9, UAB 2
5/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 21, 2011
2011 NCAA Softball Championship
Athens Regional • May 20-22
Jack Turner Stadium • Athens, Ga.
Georgia 9, UAB 2
Game Three Post-Game Quotes
Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer
Opening Statement...
"I was really proud of our team today and for bringing their pregame, batting practice mentality into competition. I thought we hit the ball really well. We were able to make adjustments pitcher-by-pitcher. I'm proud of Ashley Razey for setting the tone for the day and then everybody else who came in and picked it up."
On having a batting practice mentality...
"It means that we're just staying relaxed and staying loose at the plate. Seeing the ball and letting it get deep on our hitters."
Georgia leftfielder, #25 Megan Wiggins
On the win...
"We did really good today. I think that our goal today was to be aggressive because watching UAB before our game, we knew that they were a really good ball club and that Streetman was a really good pitcher. We just had a mindset of being aggressive and getting out hacks in. We played solid defense all day behind both of our pitchers and both of them did really well today. We had great synergy and everybody was up hitting the ball and seeing the ball."
On generating offense...
"We focus on having a line drive mentality. Not necessarily going up to the plate looking to hit a home run, but just staying in the process, working for base hits and if they go, they go. That's something that our lineup one through nine does really well. We just look for base hits together. A lot of times they fall, a lot of times they don't. Yesterday, we didn't have a single home run, but to generate runs is our main goal. Today, we hit a few. Just keeping a line drive mentality and stringing base this together one through nine is just the main goal that we try to focus on."
Georgia catcher, #23 Kristyn Sandberg
On the win...
"I think both of our pitchers came out pitching real well today. I think our lineup was great one through nine today, taking our batting practice mentality into the game. Being loose and relaxed at the plate has really helped us out over these last couple of those games. Watching UAB, we knew they were a great club and I'm proud of us for going out there and playing like we know how to play, playing Georgia softball."
UAB head coach Marla Townsend
Opening Statement...
"Coming in, we knew it was going to be a hard fought game. I think the thing that we can take from this game is that we never quit and from the first pitch to the last pitch, we were out there trying to play our ball. As a pitching staff, we gave up five home runs but it's a matter of us taking care of business, controlling what we can control when we release the ball and where the pitching goes. Obviously, Georgia is probably the best hitting team we've faced all year and one of the top teams in the nation so I'm still proud of us hitting our spots. I felt like we did a good job. Defense was solid and to have no errors with how hard they hit the ball, I'm very proud of that. We did a good job at the plate. You come into this tournament and you play to win, but if you get beat, you get beat. You've got to hand it to your opponents. We're hungry to get back and face Georgia again."
On using four pitchers in the game...
"Obviously, Leigh did a good job in her two innings and she gave up three hits. We were mixing it up when Alisha [Smith] came in and I thought that they complimented each other really well. When we were down 6-1, we wanted to get some pitchers in who have been working really hard all season long and deserved the opportunity to get out there."
On what they can take from this game...
"Offensively, I thought we need to make a minor adjustment here and there. Defensively, we were solid. On the pitching, when you're facing that tough of hitters, you've got to use all planes. You've got to use east and west, inside and outside, but you're also got to use north and south. I thought we did a good job of doing that today, but that's something that we can definitely work on and bring out here if we're playing on the 22nd of May."
UAB pitcher, #13 Leigh Streetman
On the loss...
"It was a tough loss but we'll bounce back. We'll be back."
On facing an offense like Georgia's...
"It's a challenge. Me and our senior pitcher Alisha [Smith] talked about it before the game. We knew it was going to be a challenge. We went in thinking that we were on top and not the underdog. We went in thinking that we were going to throw and be fine. We knew that were going to hit the ball. I felt like we threw pretty well but they're just good hitters."
