Post Game Quotes
6/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 2, 2002
Richmond head coach Ron Atkins...
"It's been a long day. I think people were watching two great ball clubs playing today. The first game was a great ball game; I was proud to be in it. Wake Forest came out and did what they had to do. In that second game our guys were determined, they came out, put up a four spot in that first inning. I think that was the telltale sign of that ball game. From then on, it seemed like we just had to hang on. We got a couple of key hits here and there, made some great defensive plays and I think both clubs made great defensive plays. I know we left 11 men on base in that first ball game, but we were determined not to do that in the second ball game. We knew we had to score seven or eight runs to give us a shot to win it, and that's what we did."
On pitcher Matt McLoughlin:
"Matt throws a change-up, curve ball. He's a guy that if you're in the ball game and you're a free swinger and you're going after a lot of pitches, he's going to give you trouble. That's what he did today. He kept them off balance and I think for two or three innings, they didn't know what was coming. If you have hitters like Wake Forest does, who hit the baseball the way they do, you've got to have somebody to come in and keep them off balance. That's exactly what he did."
Richmond pitcher Matt McLoughlin...
"I pitch a lot of change-ups and my ball moves away. I kind of sit on the outside corner but if I don't throw in, they sit on it and drive it to the opposite field. I tried to bang inside today and work the change-ups and breaking balls."
Richmond first baseman Vita Chiaravalloti...
"After the first game it was a battle. We knew that we had a couple of midweek guys throwing. We knew that we needed to get on the board early and, score every inning. We didn't really think we were going to get a four spot, but we were just trying to do whatever we could do to score."
On winning the regional:
"I believed in our team from the beginning of the year, from last year. I think its a special team and these guys want to win. It's the greatest team I've ever played on. One through 25, even one through 31, the guys who weren't here, everyone works their butts off. We're a special team; hopefully were not done yet. We're going to go there (Lincoln) and we're going to take this as far as we can."
Wake Forest head coach George Greer...
"I think Richmond played great; their pitching was outstanding. They did exactly what they needed to do in a college situation or even a pro situation, where you pound the fastball in and go hard in and soft away. They executed the game plan very well. I thought our kids had great approaches; we made some easy outs at times. But I think our kids battled, being down 4-0, then 6-0. If it's in the first or second inning or even the third inning, like we were to Georgia, it doesn't get our team down. We just coming back and coming back. They made big pitches when they had to and they played great. They're just a very, very good team."
On starting a freshman pitcher in the final game:
"We've given a freshman the ball in the past. He (Bach) was healthy, he's pitched two complete games for us this year. He pitched during our injury problems at the beginning of the year, he pitched in ACC competition; games against Florida State, Carolina and NC State, so he's been out there before. I'm sure that he was nervous; he was up in the zone and when he was up in the zone with a four-seam fastball, he got hit. Then he changed his approach a bit, and we got ground balls. We made two errors in the second inning that cost us two runs. That probably was the biggest difference in the game right there."
On Jamie D'Antona:
"He's just a great player. We've talked about all the kinds of things he needs to do over the summer and in the fall to be a better player. He's got the drive and determination that he will be. When we're in the NCAA Tournament again next year, he'll have even a better year."
Wake Forest pitcher Dave Bush...
"Obviously very disappointing. We had the talent and ability to do it and we've had it the last couple years. Same thing the last couple of years, we just can't quite get over that hump that we need to. The tough loss yesterday really put us behind and obviously the same thing happened last year. To have to play the extra game and have to win the extra game is difficult. Especially against a team like RIchmond, we had to use one extra pitcher that we wouldn't have liked to use. It caught up with us by the end. We kind of came up short today. I love these guys, I wish them the best of luck next year. Hopefully they can break through and get to Omaha next year."
Wake Forest right fielder Ryan Johnson...
"I'm kind of speechless right now, obviously. Even this morning, I woke up and didn't our season was going to be over tonight. But, I was trying to think positive. After that first game, I was hoping we'd carry over some momentum and fight through the heat and being tired and the mental exhaustion. But Richmond is a great ball club. Like I told you earlier in the week, you don't be stuck on Sunday having to beat a good team twice."