Postgame Quotes
UNC Greensboro 4, Chattanooga 1; UNC Greensboro 3, Chattanooga 0
Frost Stadium
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Head Coach Frank Reed
On the difficulty of opening up with a four seed:
"I thought that we hit it hard a time or two, but just could not get a break. I saw them get a couple of little dinger hits that fell in and built momentum. I think if we could have gotten Baker's home run earlier in the game, then we could have gotten something going. We just needed that one run, but we got it with two outs [in the bottom of the seventh]. You have to hand it to [Amber] Harrell, she pitched a great game and her defense backed her up. They made some fantastic catches to keep her in that thing. I wanted to go out there in the third inning and tell her that she had a no hitter going, but she finally realized it in the seventh."
On the thought process after the grand slam:
"We had plenty of innings to score because it was so early. They picked it back up a little bit and it continued to get away from us. If you take that one pitch away and that spot there with Brooke [Loudermilk] in the third and was may still be playing."
On the tag at third base that seemed to extend the big third inning:
"I really think that the team will bounce back. They are a better team than the way that we played here today. It was not that we played that bad. We just need to find a way to get a few hits and some sparks going."
On starting Kandice Irwin in game one:
"She struggled a little bit in the first game. Kandice has been so strong going six and seven innings lately coming in relief. We were thinking that she could provide a spark for the team."
On ending the season today:
"Chattanooga has been the best team over nine weeks of conference. We established ourselves. We have been in and out of people's backyards winning consistently to me were able to show it over a period of time. If you are not hot and it is not your couple of days, then you are going home [in a tournament]. At the end of the day, there is only going to be one winner in division one softball and that is going to be the winner of the College World Series. Everyone else is going home. I hate to see it for the team. We had some problems earlier and filled gaps by moving kids around. I thought that the team did that admirably. They did a good job doing that. At the end of the day, it still hurts that we did not even have the semblance of the team that we started out with. Those people that stepped in were great role players, but earlier in the season they had the opportunity to come off the bench, get a hit or steal a base."
On looking towards next year:
"The hitting thing has gotten me puzzled because if you look at our overall team averages. We were up above .280 at times. We had several kids hitting up above .300. I think the inconsistencies come in asking people to hit in certain spots and they are not used to doing that. We asked Blosser to move up to number three from number nine. She is a strong nine hitter. She was a great three hitter, but how good could have she been down there at nine. She laid the bunt down that she as been so good at in her career. We are not afraid to change up something or do something a little bit differently. We had some great games. You can say that we have had so many inconsistencies in hitting, but we also came back and won 17 contests in late innings. Some as late as the seventh, I know that was not inconsistent hitting. I just think it might be some inconsistencies in the later part of the season."
Senior Pitcher Brooke Loudermilk
On your final college game:
"I told coach Reed before that game that I am ready for my first collegiate at bat because he promised me one."
On looking back on your career:
"I am definitely going to look back on it and I am going to smile. It is something that I don't think that anybody can take away, whether it means we are going to regionals or not. Every year, it has gotten better since I got here and this is the best group of girls that I have played with for this program. It is easy to say that is the end of something good, but it is the beginning of something else. I will be watching these girls and new girls will be coming in and step up. It is hard to say that you are going to be replaced, but it is going to be a great. [Michelle] Fuzz[ard] is coming back next year that is going to be a great addition and our pitching staff will be just as deep. "
Junior Third Baseman Tiffany Baker
On the offense having a difficult day:
"We were hitting the ball, but nothing was falling our way. We just could not get anything started."
On the home run in game one:
"It was definitely do or die. I was just trying to keep it going. It was just an at bat to me. We needed more runs in that situation."
On looking towards next year:
"We just have to keep swinging them. The first game we were swinging hard and then kind of let off of a little. I just think that we have to be a little more consistent when it comes to hitting. If that is hitting a little extra during the spring or preparing a little more before the SoCon Tournament. We just have to be more prepared."
On what to take from the season:
"You just take out of it that the seniors got back-to-back-to-back-to-back SoCon Championships and that for the nine weeks that we played SoCon opponents. We were the best team out there. Neither team was really that much better than us today, but that is just how things go in baseball and softball. You just have to be better than the other team on one day and that is it."
On your senior year:
"I am looking forward to getting the freshman in here and breaking them in. They are going to have to fill some lead roles especially behind the plate and in the outfield. We are going to have to step up a little and the freshman are going sophomores and juniors faster than they thought."
