Alabama-Eastern Illinois Postgame Quotes and Notes
3/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2011
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Head Coach Mitch Gaspard
Opening statement:
"Kilcrease had another good start tonight. It looked like we were going to be able to get him the win and then it all broke down in the ninth inning. But, I thought we had a great relay to keep the game tied. Then Smith gets the big triple to start the bottom half and Rosecrans comes off the bench to deliver the hit. So, offensively it wasn't a really good night for us, but you obviously got to give a lot of credit to their pitcher. He did a good job throwing strikes. We're still trying to find that offensive rhythm on our side, but we're really starting to pitch it better and I thought we defended pretty well tonight as well."
On selecting Rosecrans to pinch-hit:
"They came in with the left-hander. We were trying to get Rosecrans going and that was a great opportunity that paid off where he came out and delivered the hit. Hopefully, that will carry on into tomorrow and through the weekend and get some confidence for him where he can start getting some hits throughout the rest of the way."
On starting Kilcrease instead of Morgan:
"We just wanted to change it up a bit and see. This is the last weekend to give it a look before conference play starts. It was just one of those decisions to go with Nathan (Kilcrease) and Adam (Morgan) tomorrow. I think both of those guys are a really good one-two punch to have. We just wanted to do this because this was the last weekend to do it."
On Austen Smith's late-game heroics:
"It was great to see. The relay was a perfect throw into Brett (Booth).Then Brett does the same thing with a perfect throw to Brock (Bennett) and nails the guy at the plate in, obviously, a crucial situation. Austen has been in left field for about two weeks and really developing out there. He's doing a good job, getting better and better every week. And then he obviously hit the triple late in the game."
#6 Josh Rosecrans, PH
On the game:
"It was a tough game and we just came out really well. We kind of struggled with the bats, but the defense was good and we just came out with the win. A win is a win."
On riding the bench till the ninth inning:
"You always have to be ready. You never know when your number is going to be called. You just have to be mentally ready just to go in there and get it done."
On approach at the plate:
"I was pretty much just trying to put one in the outfield and get that run in."
#28 Nathan Kilcrease, RHP
On his performance:
"Once again, good command. I just kept the ball down, painting the knees most of the time. Off-speed was there when I needed it. For the most part, we attacked with the fastball."
On his strikeouts:
"I hope that's what I can do all the time. Dax (Norris) came to me a couple of weeks ago, when I was looking at the numbers from last year, and said you have to strike people out. And so, I have just had that mindset when I get people 0-2, 1-2 and just make my best pitches there and put people away."
On Reaves' mental mistake:
"I kind of laughed a little bit. He was so confused that he had no idea. I just told him I got you. And (Brett) Booth made a great play on the next pitch. That's just baseball. You have to get over it."
On late-game heroics early in the season:
"The main thing you want to do every night is win. It doesn't matter if it's ugly or pretty, no matter what. You just want to win no matter what. And like Coach said after the game. He said we're about to go into SEC games and it's going to be one-run games in and out every weekend. He said you have to find a way to win it and first, be in it early in the season and to come up with those wins early. So, it's only going to help us in the end."
NOTES
* Senior outfielder Taylor Dugas has scored runs in 12 of 14 games this season, seven of which have come in the first inning alone. He now leads the team with 18 runs scored, and is third in the SEC.
* Dugas batted 2-for-4 on the night, notching his sixth multi-hit game on the season, bringing his career total to 63. He is now batting .353 for the season.
* Dugas tallied his SEC-leading ninth double of the season.
* Senior catcher Brock Bennett was 2-for-4 in the game and is now hitting .400 (16-for-40) this season to lead the team. He extended his hitting streak to six games.
* In seven starts from the number-two hole in the lineup, Bennett is batting .423 (11-for-26).
* Freshman left fielder Austen Smith hit his first career triple in the bottom of the ninth inning.
* Junior catcher/first baseman Josh Rosecrans notched his first career walk-off hit.
* Senior right-handed pitcher Nathan Kilcrease struck out nine, extending his team-leading total to 30. Kilcrease has had at least eight strikeouts in three of his four starts this season.
* Kilcrease did not allow an earned run for the second straight start, lowering his ERA to 2.22 for the season.
* Freshman right-hander Jay Shaw recorded his first win as a member of the Crimson Tide.
