May 17, 2009 | NCAA Softball Norman Regional | Norman, Okla.
TULSA HEAD COACH JOHN BARGFELDT
On the game...
"They out played us today and we did some things that were not characteristic of what we do as a team that helped them out. You tip your hat to a team and a pitcher that has got something out there, and we had trouble squaring up the ball today. I felt that we did a better job the other day as far as hitting the ball and squaring it up. It wasn't a typical performance today by Jackie (Lawrence). I thought that she pitched behind in the count a lot and that made it awfully hard on her. They squared up to balls on us and hit us hard. You just have to tip your hat to them."
On the energy of the team...
"I felt that our swings might have been a little long today. We got underneath a lot of stuff today and I encouraged them don't try to do too much. I told them stay short and take line drives. I think in the back of their minds they were trying to do too much. We have been through a lot of heroics and sometimes that goes against you and you start trying to do too much as a hitter."
On the season...
"It has been an emotional rollercoaster for us for about six weeks. I asked the team to be on the edge of where another loss was something that we could not afford. I have asked them to play like that for six weeks and so much of this game is mental. I do believe that mentally a lot was taken out of us in the last couple of days and after a single elimination tournament. I have been asking a lot of the girls and it carried right into the tournament. So maybe it was a mental fatigue."
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE HEAD COACH DARREN MUELLER
Opening statement…
“The first thing I have to say is how proud of I am of our players. This is something that we dreamt about when we went through the transition and something we talked to them about when we recruited them. Our goal is not just to win the Summit League but also a NCAA Regional. One of our mottos this year was dream big. Wow, it has happened.”
On this year’s schedule…
“Because of the floods in Fargo, we didn’t know that we would be on the road as much. So, I think that helped us in the long run in preparing as a team and being with each other and playing at some big venues.”
On having confidence advancing to Super Regional…
“It does, like my players were saying, coming in and beating Oklahoma and Tulsa who are both really strong teams. The sky is the limit right now and I think right now we have the mindset that we can go and compete with anybody. If we keep on doing what we have been doing taking care of ourselves and preparing for the opponents and keeping things simple. Hopefully we can do some more damage.”
On when he thought that they could win the regional…
“I don’t know if it really has yet. The team had a great point, we have had all these exciting games against Oklahoma and Tulsa that it just took so much out of us just emotionally because we were so excited to get back to play. It feels great but I think in a little bit it will really sink in.”
SENIOR PITCHER ANDI PADILLA
On this year’s schedule…
“The road is kind of our home and it is odd when we have a home series. I think that we are really comfortable away from home with a different crowd, we love it. We are used to it and I think that it helps in these kinds of situations.
SECOND BASEMAN LAUREL PIPKIN
On her fifth-inning catch…
“You kind of really just react in softball and when I caught it I just thought to myself, ‘what a good play.’ In the moment you don’t think about anything and you just react to the ball and do the best that you can. You just want to get the ball and do the best to protect our pitcher and protect our team.”
On Andi Padilla…
“It is unbelievable what she has done this year. It has been incredible what she has done this year. We couldn’t have asked anything more from Andi.”
FIRST BASEMAN MELISSA CHMIELEWSKI
On when she thought that the team could win the regional…
“I think this morning. Yesterday, when we beat Oklahoma it was like, wow and back a playing Tulsa and coming back in the seventh it still hasn’t kind of hit that we have won and that we are going to the Super Regional. We are excited.”
