May 19, 2007

Recap |  Box Score

NORTH CAROLINA

Head Coach Donna J. Papa

On the win: "When you come into a regional tournament, it is important to get that win in game one. I thought this was a great win and a very exciting game."

On Anna Roberts: "When we put her in as a hitter, she normally puts the ball in play. She has good energy and a nice swing. She provided the winning run when we needed her."

On possibly facing Tennessee: "The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Tennessee is Monica Abbott. She is such a dominant pitcher that when Tennessee scores one run in a game, they have the ability to relax. Most teams don't have that. UT has a great offense with good hitters and excellent pitching. Their lineup is tough to battle. We can't go into the game intimidated. We have to make the most of our opponent, put the ball in play, and make them make defensive plays."

On Tennessee receiving a No. 5 seed: "I was surprised at that. I am on the top-25 voting committee and I know they were No. 1 most of the season. I was shocked that Arizona got the No. 1 overall seed."

Freshman Anna Roberts

On her performance today: "Before I go to bat as a pinch-hitter, I always ask my teammates, "What does the pitching style look like? What should I look for?" It is a team effort. They said not to swing on the change-ups, and I found two that I liked and swung."

Sophomore pitcher Lisa Norris

On potentially facing the speed game of Tennessee: "We saw that in the Atlantic Coast Conference some. Florida State has slappers on the team. I'm just going to pitch the same way I always do and try to hit my spots."

On the length of the outfield: "I think the fences are taller than what we are used to, but it looks like the length of the fi eld is the same."

On being a pitcher and facing Monica Abbott: "I think it motivates me. Any time we play a top-ranked team it motivates me. If I make one mistake, it could result in a home run. I have to trust my defense, and I do."

Head Coach Mark Cooke

Thoughts on the game: "It was a well-played ballgame. There weren't any errors on either side and very few bad plays. Overall, it was just a good ballgame between two good teams."

On his team's comeback attempts: "This team has never quit on me. They can be down one, two or three runs. No lead is safe. They always go out there and swing the bats."

"We had our opportunities but we just couldn't fi nish. Take nothing away from North Carolina, though. Their relief pitcher (Amber Johnson) came in and finished us off."

On the deciding factor in the game: "North Carolina's experience showed today. They went out there and got key hits with runners in scoring position, and we just didn't come through in those situations today."

Senior Designated Player Laura Hill

Thoughts on the game: "We had a lot of chances early, but we didn't take advantage of them. That was the deciding factor in the game."

Sophomore CF Tessa Thomas

Thoughts on the game: "It doesn't get any closer than that. We gave it our best shot and played well, but we just couldn't catch the breaks we needed to get the win."

On having to come back tomorrow: "We just have to take it one game at a time from here on out. We know that our backs are up against the wall, but we just have to come back tomorrow and play hard."