Regional Quotes: Game Six
5/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 23, 2010
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Missouri Head Coach Ehren Earleywine
Opening Statement
“Despite the fact that we didn't play very well this weekend, I'm extremely pleased that we're leaving here with a win, another regional championship and we're looking forward to facing Oregon next week.
On The Significance Of Winning This Regional
“All along I've said that every team here had a chance to win this regional, but I felt like we had the most complete team and had the best shot to win the whole thing. I have to give a lot of credit to all three teams that were here, because if you look at that our game against Creighton, we were down 2-1 heading into our last at bat and that game could have been very different. It just goes to show how you never know what can happen in these kinds of tournaments.”
Missouri Pitcher Kristin Nottelmann
On Facing Illinois Twice
“Anytime you go a full seven innings against a team that you might play again the next day, you are going to have to be at the top of your game if you want to win. I wanted to make sure I kept their best hitters guessing most of the game, and tried not to get behind in the count.”
Missouri Outfielder Ashley Fleming
On Missouri's Offensive Output During The Regional
“Although we didn't score a lot of runs this weekend, we felt like we were just one hit away from getting going offensively. We knew other teams were going to try and shut us down offensively, but we just tried to keep cool at the plate and get the hits we needed to put runs on the board.”
Missouri Outfielder Rhea Taylor
On Winning A Third Regional Championship
“It means a lot that we've had so much success the past couple of years, but this year is special because of all of the things we've been through. Without my teammates and the coaching staff, we would not have gotten this far, and we still have a lot of things we want to accomplish this year, and will have to stay hungry if we want to continue to succeed.”
Illinois Head Coach Terry Sullivan
Opening Comments…
"We want to congratulate Missouri on getting it done. They beat us twice and we wish them the best as they move on. We like to see those Midwest teams take care of business. They have a lot of exciting players, we had a lot of fun watching them and wish them all the best. As for our team, it's tough to sum up our season after a loss. I'm really proud of what our girls have done all season long. We are proud to represent the Big 10 and advance to regional play. The player to my right here (Hope Howell) I'm going to miss an awful lot, she's been tough for us and I know she has a bright future. So like I said, good luck to Missouri."
Illinois Senior Hope Howell
On coming up empty in the second inning despite having runners on second and third with no outs…
"Always when you go home at the end of the day, you always think 'what it, what if' but it is really just pointless to think that way. You never want to get ahead of yourself, especially in the middle of the game. As soon as she caught the fly ball, it was time to move on and think about how we could score again."
