2015 NCAA Softball Championship - GatorZone.com
Larissa Anderson, Head Coach, Hofstra
Opening Statement:
"We did win again ? a lot of base hits. We got it when we needed it, with runners in scoring position. Brittany Allocca was able to put the ball in play and we were able to score the one run that we needed. Unbelievable job by our defense. Our defense did amazing. Made some great plays with Caryn Bailey with that throw-out at home. Kimmie [Kim] Smith taking away a base hit at third. Taylor Pirone with that play at the plate ? unbelievable defense. Defense is what kept us in the ball game."
On bringing Pirone in late in the game:
"Morgan was not hit hard. A lot of the base hits she had just blooped in. She was getting a lot of runners on base in those situations. Third time through the lineup, regardless, I knew I was going to make a change at some point. With them getting a leadoff batter on base ? even though it was a great pitch and Chloe would have made a great catch ? it was time to make a change because it's the third time through the lineup, so now we have a different approach and different pitcher."
On playing good defense:
"That's typical Hofstra softball. It's part of our philosophy that we work so hard on defense to make sure that we are always fundamentally correct. We never want to lose a play because of poor fundamentals. We work very hard, and sometimes we don't have control of where the ball is hit and who is up in the batting order, but it was really great to see that our defense came through and bailed us out of some very tough calls and tough plays."
On starting the weekend off with a win and thoughts going into tomorrow
"It's great, especially because we do have a young team. With three freshmen in the lineup who have never been in this situation before, never been in this environment, and I think ? from my perspective ? they were a little tight. We didn't play great Hofstra softball; we played good enough. We got the one run that we needed, and our defense bailed us out of situations. Taylor [Pirone] made some great pitches in some key situations. It is nice to get that one win out of the way, and we can take a breath of fresh air and get back to work tomorrow."
On who will start at pitcher on Saturday:
"Usually I have a good night's sleep, and I wake up in the morning and it pops in my head. You'll probably see both of them tomorrow. I'm confident with either one of them to start and I know I can bring either one of them to close the game out."
Taylor Pirone, P, Hofstra ?
On her mindset with a runner on third and no outs
"I'm doing this new thing now where my mindset is trying not to have a mindset. I've learned how to just shut it off. My focus now is through the roof. Morgan [Lashley] threw a great game. A couple balls just hung up and fell in the right spots for them. Knowing I was coming in and got the call, I just was ready. I was ready to keep our team in the game because I knew were going to come back and score. I just wanted to keep us in the game."
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On the throw-out at home
"When I saw her going, Kimmie [Smith] is always in my ear, and she is screaming and yelling. I knew I had plenty of time so I just tried to throw a strike to Trip [Erin Trippi]. She made a great tag at the plate."
Brittany Allocca, UT, Hofstra
On how it felt with two outs
"Just to stay clear and take each pitch. Just focus on swinging at strikes and be aggressive."
On how it feels to be a freshman who delivered for her team
"It's great but I wouldn't be able to do it without them. They're everything."
Joan Joyce, Head Coach, Florida Atlantic
Opening Statement:
"I hate those kind of games. It's really tough when you put a lot of people on base the whole game and can't come up with the plays. They (Hofstra) made a couple great plays against us that stopped a couple runs that were coming home and got thrown out. They're a great defensive team, and they did a good job with their pitching staff. We're not dead, and we're a fighting team, so we'll be back."
On having Lindsey Shell, a senior, lead off the last inning:
"Our first two batters in the lineup (Lindsey Shell and junior Christina Martinez) have been the game-setters for us the whole season and again, the couple times we had opportunities, they were involved in all of them. I think the play of the game was the play that the third baseman (Smith) made. I'm not sure she knew she had the ball, but she did and got us out. They're a great defensive team. They don't make mistakes out there. When the center fielder (Martinez) caught Delaney (Rickey)'s base hit, and we had the runner going home and she launched that ball -- I thought it was going up into the net behind the plate. It just happened to be there and be able to put the tag on her and got her out."
Lindsey Shell, OF, Florida Atlantic
On the similarities between FAU's three games this season against Hofstra:
"It was the same game. It was a close game. We tied with them the last time we played them, and we won by one one of the games, so it's always very close between the two teams. We're pretty even teams."
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