May 18, 2007
Stanford Head Coach John Rittman:
Opening Statement:
"This is a tough format, the second day of the four team regionals. We were in Fresno's shoes last year when we lost the first game to Fresno and we had to comeback and beat Fullerton. I guess if your going to lose a game in this scenario, game one isn't a bad game to lose. You know you will play a doubleheader the next day so that is what your preparing for. So mentally it helps you prepare a bit, but for our team to come out today and battle through the first game, I felt we were a little tentative and made a few defensive mistakes. Missy got though got into a rythmn and she's very capable because she's very strong and we knew once we got past the first game that we would be in pretty good shape for the second one. We got some timely hits and I am just very proud of our team the way we battled all day to come out with two wins.
On eliminating Fresno State two years in a row:
"Fresno State is a very good program. Margie (Wright) does a great job with that team year in and year out. It helps that your familiar with them and their pitchers and their hitters as I am sure they are familiar with us. Overall they are a great program, and we had two hard fought games.
On not having timely hits:
"They made a good coaching change their to bring in Barr. We got a little impatient where we had some situations where we had the bases loaded. We needed timely hits and we popped up one and we didn't get runs home from third base and just didn't have some very good at bats. Sometimes though one is all you need, you definately would prefer to have scored another run. I thought their shortstop made a great play and saved a run. They play great defense and their bench made a lot of nice plays and I thought Barr did a great job of coming in and keeping us off balance.
On Missy Penna:
"Missy is a workhouse and she knows she is going to get the ball. You play in the Pac-10 conference and you get ready for the battles in the NCAA's.She has faced the best hitters in the country and nothing surprises her.She is a workhorse and she wants the ball.
On Erin Howe's status:
"She is in our thoughts and prayers right now and we will just have to see what the doctors say. She came into the plate awkwardly and she definately did something to her knee, to the extent of it, I don't know right now.
Stanford Pitcher Missy Penna:
On Fresno State's hitters:
"I was just taking it one pitch at a time. Yesterday I was just thinking about Cal-State Northridge and just taking it one game at a time. If I were to think about two games, that is just overwhelming and we had already lost to one of those teams, so I just took it one pitch at a time.
On her effectiveness:
"I got in a rythmn today so that helped me a lot. It helped that we had played them the day before so we knew what their batters were able to do.
Stanford 2B Tricia Aggabao:
On the task of beating LSU twice tomorrow:
"I think we definately can, again we need to take the same approach, taking it one pitch at a time. I have all the confidence in the world we can take two games tomorrow.
"It was definately overwhelming the first game, but I feel I was settling in and I felt a lot better in the second game seeing the ball a lot better.
Fresno State Head Coach Margie Wright:
Opening Statement:
"We faced a lot of strong pitchers in this regional. In this part of the season if you don't bring your A game offensively you are going to struggle and we weren't able to do that.
On emotions of today:
Anytime you lose when you think you are good enough to win it is shocking.We definately had our opportunites to win and we didn't cash in.
On the pitching change:
"There was really no discussion with the pitching change. We just needed to make a change to stop momenteum.
On swinging at bad balls:
"We were really pressing at the end. We were really trying to get a hit in the end. She did a great job of throwing a combination of pitches and kept us really off balance for most of the game.
Fresno State Pitcher Robin Mackin:
On potentially getting tired:
"I really wasn't tired. Everyone gets a little exhausted at this time of the year, but that isn't much more than an excuse. It is all about those who rise to the occassion.