Alabama vs. Washington- Super Regional Game Two
May 26, 2007 | Softball
May 26, 2007
Washington vs. Alabama
Game 2 - Super Regionals
May 26, 2007
Washington Quotes
Head coach Heather Tarr:
Opening comments
This is what we've been playing for and we couldn't be more proud of everyone that has something to do with our program. Hats off to Alabama for coming out and coming after us this game. We didn't know what was going to happen, we didn't know if we were going to win but they came after us and gave us a huge challenge.
On scoring in the 7th
I tried to go in there and not to think for once. Just kind of clear my head and just let my body do the work and I think it paid off and I was so excited. I can't explain the emotions that were going through my mind even when I was running the bases.
On being to the World Series before
Some people didn't think we'd get past this weekend, or even last weekend, so it feels good to prove so many people wrong. I tell the girls it's just like any other weekend, obviously it's what you work for and it's a really big thing but you can't make it any bigger than it is. The game is the same, we still play between the lines, play seven innings and win. We just need to take this approach we have this weekend and apply it to next weekend.
On this World Series berth being sweeter than in 2004
It's much sweeter, I went when I was a freshman and was like "oh this is what you do every year" ahhh-no. We struggled the past two years at regionals and it was good just to come on top finally.
On this being the real senior day
Our first senior day was like "oh this is sad" but today was just like "we're going to win" I'm not walking off this field losing.
On running into the catcher
Honestly I had tunnel vision and was like "there is nothing that's going to stop me from scoring, I'm scoring this run and we're going to win this game". The thought of jumping on the catcher did not come across my mind I was just like "I'm getting to the plate."
On coming through in the clutch
I feel really confident in my approach going up to the plate. I just keep looking for my pitches and they keep coming at me, so I guess I just take what I get.
On "what's next"
Getting my first opportunity to go to the World Series, all the girls that have been there before are telling us what to expect which is awesome. It feels like nothing is getting in our way, just go through things naturally and we're getting wins through it.
On the last out
It was feeling good with those first two outs, but when that runner got on I was like "we got to buckle down now" so I have to do everything in my power to get her to groundout, strikeout, popup anything I can. The defense and hitting was so phenomenal today that I felt like I can let them hit the ball and we're going to make the plays and on offense, this is probably the best game I felt when it comes to offense knowing they're going to score runs. To have a team that can come back after giving up four runs to tie the game and get two more it's just outstanding I can't even describe it, how proud I am of the team.
When we won last weekend it was so emotional, but when we won today I was just like "well, there's more to happen".
On people watching from the football stadium
Awesome, playing at your home is such an advantage. Playing at Texas last year and having their fans support them and seeing ours out here, it's just amazing knowing that you have more than a thousand people that are with you every single pitch and every single at-bat, you just want to make them proud.
On keeping down a top-ranked offensive team and feeling invincible
Definitely not feeling invincible, it's not like we beat them 10-0. They battled and were a tough team, like you could see every inning you had to buckle down and get every single out. This gives us confidence because we did battle, and I think that's better than beating them 10-0 going into next week.
On what she learned this weekend
The teams sees that "well Danielle didn't do so well that one inning and let some runs score" and to have Lauren come back and hit a clutch double with two outs and score two runs, that's huge and everyone sees that and that's when I realized that nothing going to go on this next inning I gotta go up there and pay the respects to my team and show Lauren that you picked me up after a popup to get two outs so I'm going to go out there and prove to you that I can go out there and get these next three outs and we're going to win the game. That was my mentality going into the last inning.
On whether she still thinks making it to the WCWS is a must as a coach for validation
Obviously anytime as a coach you can make it to the Big Dance, which is the World Series, it's a big deal and I think I'm not looking for the validation because I believe in myself as a coach and I believe in what my staff and I are instilling into our student athletes and at this point in time I believe that it's growing and we have a mix of great talent, some youth so the mixture of what we have in our team unit and what we're instilling in them is something that we're riding and I think that's what we ride forward with into the World Series.
11:50
On what pleased her most about today's game
What we were able to come from behind and then we struggled a little bit and then they tied it up and we were able to keep our emotion in check stay within ourselves and figure out their pitcher and come through with two runs, that was the best part.
On whether she though Lauren Greer would be a hero again in the seventh
I was just hoping that she was going to make an adjustment for what she needed to do and was like "get a good pitch, get a good pitch, come on" and she did and she hit the ball hard
I think that our team deserves to be one of the top 8 teams, I think that we're good enough to be one of the top 8 teams and I think that we deserve a shot at the national championship, I think we're that good.
Alabama Quotes
Head Coach Patrick Murphy:
Opening Statement: Congratulations to Washington and Coach Tarr. She stepped into a difficult situation, I knew a little bit about her position when she was hired. I know it's got to be a thrill for her to take her alma mater to the World Series. I'm sure they'll do very very well and I wish them good luck.
Emotions after the game: It's difficult because we have five really great kids that are seniors. We had a pitcher that just exceeded all expectations. This is an overachieving group. Coming in, we just didn't know what we were going to get. We should feel very good about ourselves, being a game away, being 5 to 5 in the sixth inning. I'm very happy with everybody.
On the turning point of the game: The clutch hit by Dominique. We had a chance in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on second and we didn't get it done. I think that would've added a lot of pressure to them.
On Alabama pitcher Blair Potter: She pitched very well for the first four innings. She just lost it a little bit, and the changeup hurt her, the double off the wall. But she didn't have too many mistakes today.
On Washington's home field advantage: Two years ago we went to College Station with seven seniors and three very good juniors. Immediately we took the crowd out of it. In the first game we beat them 4-1 and then swept them the next day. To be successful in softball, you have to have that core of leadership of fighters and really talented kids. A year ago I said it's not that important, it's not like a college baseball atmosphere. But I'm going to retract that, and now it's a definite home field advantage. It woud've been the same way in Tuscaloosa. There would've been 2000 people in the stands screaming "Roll Tide." It's a definite advantage now to be in the top eight.
Brittany Rogers:
We were definitely prepared to come out and fight tough. It didn't work out for us this evening, but we're going to learn from our games this season and come out and face next year head on.
On Alabama's comeback inning: It meant a lot to us. Going into that inning, we didn't doubt one bit. That's the great thing about this team. We know that we can come back, regardless of what the score is. I think it's amazing that we can come and push through with the fight that we've had for the past month and a half and to get to this point and still come back and tie it up. I think that says a lot about us as a team. I'm very proud of every person that was in that dugout.
Dani Woods:
I think it was really important that we scored first. We talked about that all season, letting our team score first. I think that that gave us some confidence, but it wasn't enough to carry over.
[Danielle Lawrie] is most definitely talented. She's very good technically. We have a very strong lineup, 1 through 9. And I have to give her props for coming out and playing the game she did.
Her off-speed is kind of like a back-door curve also. We faced one pitcher last week who threw a back-door curve, but it wasn't off-speed. That pitch is a great pitch. She's a great pitcher all around.
We could've done more. But everybody could do more. We talked about it last night, we came out fired up and we were prepared to execute when we needed to. And we did do that. Some things worked for us and some things didn't.
Charlotte Morgan:
On her bases clearing hit in the fifth inning: It felt great. I was glad that I could come through for my team at that point in time. We believe that anyone can come up and do it.
We always look forward to next year. We just need to work on what we're struggling with. We have 1 through 9, actually 1 through 18. It's unbelievable the number of hitters on our team; anybody can hit the ball. I guess train hard and work hard and pick people up.
