March 25, 2011
Recap | Box Score
Head Coach Steve Smith Chris Slater's game-winning hit:
"I think experience is always good. He is a senior, Landis Ware is a senior and there were a few younger guys who did some things as well, but Landis being able to steal that base when it needs to be stolen and then Chris Slater not trying to do too much, just taking a nice stroke and letting the pitcher do the work and it was good for him."
On the defensive effort of the team:
"Jake Miller is making some great plays, and other guys are making some pretty good routine plays. Steve DalPorto made a good play tonight. Max Muncy made a few nice plays tonight at first, but the thing that sticks out to me about this game is just how Logan Verrett responded to the four-run inning. What he did tonight was not an easy thing to do, he had some bad luck in that inning, he made some mistakes in that inning, and there were a lot of problems with that inning. But he gave us four more innings after that and that is huge. We aren't talking about Slater's at-bat unless he does that, and that was really good to see."
On the team's late game comebacks this season:
"You have to play well the whole ball game for the last inning to count. We have been playing well but games have been close. I think a lot of that has to do with the quality of our opponents, we are playing good people, guys are throwing well, the bats are a component, and all of that just makes games closer. "
Senior SS Landis Ware
On the importance of getting hits with two outs on the board:
"Those hits are real big. Especially for me hitting in the nine hole, it gives us a chance to turn the lineup over. Two-out hits are big because their guy is out there are thinking that they are going to get out of an inning. So it's just huge momentum-wise and it's a big part of the game."
On stealing second base in the bottom of the ninth inning:
"I knew when I got on base that a base hit can score a guy from second, so I didn't want to put pressure on the hitter to get a double. So any way I could get to second base I knew I had to get there and I got a good jump and got there safe."
Sophomore RHP Max Garner
On his confidence stepping into a one run game:
"I have been throwing really well lately. I have been hitting a lot of spots and I just want to go out there and throw strikes. When you get first pitch strikes and are able to get ahead of hitters early then it makes it a lot easier and so I was just trying to get ahead, work down, and let them get themselves out."
On getting his first career win:
"It was a great way to get a win, not much more fun than that."
Senior LF Chris Slater
On stepping to the plate to win the game:
"I have been fortunate to be in that situation about a week-and-a-half ago, so I had that experience to build on. You just have to realize in that spot all of the pressure is on the pitcher. He has got to throw you a pitch and if they get you out the worst case is that we are going extra innings. So all of the pressure is on their side. I just had to try to not do too much and it just worked out."
On the feeling of being able to come back and win a close game:
"We have found ways to win games in a multitude of different ways this year. So this was great to be able to play from behind and stick it out, even after that big inning, and respond and put up seven zeros after that. It's just a big time for us."
