Postgame Quotes: #3 Michigan 6, #8 LSU 3
5/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 31, 2015
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Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
Opening statement ... "You have to congratulate LSU on a great season. We watched them play all year. We watch a lot of softball and they're such a great team. They've come so far under Beth Torina and her staff. We certainly want to congratulate them and their seniors. But I have to give credit, of course, to the kids sitting up here and the kids in the dugout. I told them before the game, it doesn't matter who is talented and it doesn't matter who is ranked. It only matters who has heart and who has soul. And we've had it all year, and we showed it again today. We just do what we do, whether we're ahead or behind, we just keep playing in our moment. I thought we had an outstanding effort against a very tough team in a very tough tournament. So I could not be prouder to be their coach, and we're going to play in the championship series. That's an achievement; we're very excited about it. But as I said, we came here to win it. And we're coming here to win it. And we have a very, very tough opponent."
On her message to the team after the game ... "I just told them I'm proud of them. Their effort was what we've done all year and that's all we need to do, that's all we need to do tomorrow. We just need to do what we do, and that's good enough."
On Haylie Wagner's performance ... "I'll tell you what, I think it speaks for itself. She's come in and she's energized us. She wants the ball. She's attacking the hitters, and she's giving us the confidence that we need on the mound. And that's what the pitcher's job is to do is to set the tone that we can win this game. And I'm going to do my part. She's just been outstanding. Her leadership on the mound has been fantastic. And we have such a great 1-2 punch, and she's just come in with that left jab. It's been fantastic."
On rallying from an early deficit ... "We're in the World Series. Runs are hard to get. We're facing great pitching. They have the deepest staff. Florida has a pretty deep staff as well. And we were just fighting all game. The first time through when we see a pitcher that we haven't seen, we haven't seen LSU this year, you expect the pitcher to have an edge. Second time through, now our hitters have at least a little information to work with, and they've seen her and they've made her throw some pitches. So again we don't care if we're behind or we're ahead, we just focus on what we're doing at the moment. The game doesn't know if we're behind or ahead. The game just knows if you hit the ball hard."
On the confidence of this team ... "I think I really believe that if you set a goal you have to own it. If you can't say it out loud you don't own it. It's not whether or not we win the championship, it's whether or not we go for it."
U-M Junior Sierra Lawrence
On her sixth-inning at-bat ... "Staying one-pitch focused and believing in myself, and knowing that if I didn't get it done somebody behind me was going to get it done. I was just running and as soon as I got to second I wanted to look at my team and sprinkle the cheese.
U-M Senior Haylie Wagner
On playing with heart and soul ... "My heart and soul is everybody's heart and soul, so we play as a team, we win and lose as a team and we go out there and play every single pitch together. So my heart and soul comes from everybody else around me."
On advancing to the championship series ... "We're as excited as we could be. But I think the toughest thing it's going to be a really, really tough game. And we have to go out there and attack. Florida is a great hitting team, a great defensive team and they have everything for them. And we just have to come out and attack and play with our heart and soul because we're just as good."
U-M Sophomore Lindsay Montemarano
On advancing to the championship series ... "I don't know if it's completely hit me yet. But we came here not to just compete. All year we had a goal. Our goal wasn't just to make it to Oklahoma City, but it was to win the championship game. And Florida is a great team. We've played them this year and had great battles with them. We can't focus on them. We have to focus on us and we'll be okay if we focus on us."
U-M Junior Sierra Romero
On advancing to the championship series ... "I don't think it's hit me yet. Florida is a great team and it's going to a good game, and I'm looking forward to it."
On her home run ... "I was just trying to get on base. I was trying to hit the ball hard. If I'm going to get out I want it to at least be a hard out. I saw the ball and I hit it and it just happened to go out. The rundown, I was ready to have some fun with SiLo (Sierra Lawrence). I know how she runs, and I know how I run, so I knew that was going to be really interesting. It's something we work on in practice, and it's something that I trusted C-Lo with, and she did what she did and we got the run."
