Alabama vs. Jacksonville State Quotes
5/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 22, 2009
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Alabama Quotes
Pat Murphy, Alabama Head Coach
Opening statement:"It was just a great game for us, starting with Kelsi (Dunne) and just up and down the lineup, that's the way we wanted it to be all year long. Where everybody shares in the offense, I think we had eight people score and eight people got hits and you can't ask for anything better."
On Kelsi Dunne's performance being one of the best he has seen from her: "She has not thrown like this very often this year, she had a similar performance against Washington earlier this year, but today her changeup was a secret weapon and I think that surprised everybody. That's a big credit to Vann Stuedeman, our pitching coach. That was a great way to come out."
On Dunne's accomplishments thus far throughout her career: "Well I think she already has 500 strikeouts and it's only her second year, so she still has a long way to go and she's just going to get better and better. She still needs to get stronger and in better shape, but she can do that this summer. A lot of people don't know, but she had elbow surgery in the offseason and it has been bothering her pretty much the entire year, but she's been dealing with it. So for what she has done considering all that she has been through, it's pretty remarkable."
Third Baseman Kelley Montalvo
On the flow of the offense all throughout the entire lineup: "It's really exciting when eight of us get a hit, everything just keeps going. If our defense is consistent, we're going to scratch out a run and then from then on everything just flows up and down the lineup. I think it's great where we have a thing where we can just pass it down. When someone gets on base, you can just pass it down to the next girl and from there on it just flows."
On the importance of jumping out on the opponent: "It's definitely important. With our lineup especially, we want to get ahead of everybody early. I feel like it makes the pitcher comfortable and she can just go out there and pitch her game, knowing the offense is going to be consistent. I think that sets the tone for the game."
Pitcher Kelsi Dunne
On the importance of the changeup in her success today: "In the bullpen it was working really well before the game and we talked about opening the first pitch of the game with (a changeup) and I guess their plan of attack was to stay off the plate and look inside, predominately for the screw-rise and everything else was working today, the curve, the change and just mixing everything up kept them off balance a little bit."
On throwing a no-hitter this deep in the NCAA Tournament: "Honestly I never really think about (throwing a no-hitter), I just try to go out there and keep runners out of scoring position and put our team in the best possible position to win the ball game."
Jacksonville State Quotes
Head Coach Jana McGinnis
Opening Statement: "Obviously we are disappointed in the loss, but I think the biggest disappointment that we have as a team and what the players are feeling right now is that we did something that I didn't think this team would do and that is come out scared. We came out back on our heels and passive, and that totally took us out of our game. That's the disappointing thing."
On the team's mood: "Before the game I thought the girls were very loose. It was just like another day. Even in the batting cage I thought they were very loose and relaxed. As a coach you want to get mad at them, but in reality they are 18-22 year old kids that have never been on this stage before."
On Kelsi Dunne's pitching: "I think anybody watching the game, even SEC coaches were probably thinking, "Wow, her changeup." All you hear about Kelsi Dunne is about her rise ball and screw ball and you know she will throw her change up. I think she threw it a couple of times against Texas. She beat us today and that changeup was crucial for her. I thought she looked better than I have ever seen her actually."
# 26, Pitcher Karla Pittman
On today's loss: "I feel that, like coach said, we should have worked a little harder. We were giving them outs and I was hitting too much of the plate with two strikes. I should have learned my lesson in one inning, but we were just giving them outs that we should have been able to get. We'll just have to come out and work harder tomorrow."
On her pitching: "I was just hitting too much of the plate. With two strikes I was hitting the corner of the plate instead of going clear outside, which I should have done."
#11, Third baseman Allison Svoboda
On the defense: "We made errors and we shouldn't have. We can't come out and make errors tomorrow. "
On the attitude before this game and moving forward: "I approached the game like I always do. I am a laid back person. The coaches have asked me how I feel about all this because I am a freshman and this is pretty big for me, but I am laid back and love it all. I don't take it any different. I do it all the same way."
