Notes & Quotes: #1 Florida 1, #7 Michigan 0
5/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
N O T E S
A WCWS single-session record crowd of 8,323 was on hand this evening. The previous record of 8,230 fans was set during last year's third session.
With the loss, Michigan falls to 8-3 in the all-time series vs. Florida. The Gators have claimed three of the last four meetings.
The 1-0 defeat is Michigan's fourth shutout loss of the season.
Michigan's one hit matches a season low. U-M also tallied one hit in a 1-0 loss to Washington at the Judi Garman Classic on March 13. That contest was also decided by a solo home run.
With her complete-game one-hitter, Florida's Stacey Nelson's earns her 136th career win, tying her for sixth-best in NCAA history with Texas' Cat Osterman.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
Opening comment... "It was a great game by two great teams. You have to give credit where credit is due, and Stacey Nelson was fabulous just like we knew she would be. She did a great job, and we did not make the adjustments at the plate. Its very difficult to adjust against her, but my team did a great job of staying composed. It came down to a one-pitch game. My pitchers pitched their hearts out and I thought we did a great job containing their offense. It became a pitchers' duel."
On Florida pitcher Stacey Nelson... "I think we needed to have better at bats and make some adjustments as the game went on. To her credit, she doesn't approach every hitter the same every time they are up. She was really able to keep us at bay with that low pitch. We did not lay off, and I think we were swinging at her arm speed a lot. We tried to load early and see the ball longer."
U-M Junior LHP Nikki Nemitz
On the sixth-inning home run pitch... "It was a changeup, and I am pretty sure I let down my body speed and gave it away. I fed it fat, right down the middle, and I wouldn't expect anything less from a great hitter."
On Florida pitcher Stacey Nelson... "She throws hard and she can go either side of the plate, so you have to be ready for it. She can pin-point her position perfectly. She can bring the ball up a little bit or down, and she keeps you off speed with that change up as well."
