Wake Forest Athletics
Post Game Quotes
5/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 24, 2005
ACC Baseball Championship
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Game 1: #8 Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. #11 Duke Blue Devils
Opening statement from Wake Forest head coach Rick Rembielak:
Well the first thing that comes to my mind is the effort that Charlie (Mellies) gave us today, which we needed. In the first game of a play-in series to go a complete game, helps us out tremendously. We couldn't script it any better than that. It was a tough day, tough conditions with the heat. This was the first time we've played in heat like this, I guess you end up testing the type of conditioning that they do all year, on a day like today.
Third baseman Matt Antonelli on hitting three doubles in the game:
Their pitchers were falling behind a little bit at the beginning of the count and I think most of my hits came when I was ahead in the count 2-0, 3-1. I just got good pitches to hit and put good metal on them. I think getting ahead was the biggest thing for me.
Opening statement from Duke Head Coach Bill Hillier:
First of all, I thought Charlie Mellies did a great job. To go out in the heat and do what that kid did - it was an awesome job. It allowed them to stay out of their bull pen. I give a lot of credit to the coach (Rick Rembielak) and his players, they did a great job. I think we shot ourselves in the foot a little bit with kicking the ball around. We've struggled offensively most of the year. We had to play good defense behind (Greg) Burke to keep his pitch count down, and it didn't happen. A little bit of that was Wake's offense and quite a bit of it was our defense. I think Greg Burke came out and was throwing very well until I think he got tired. That's why I thought that Charlie was going to get tired too. Burke started getting the ball up in the zone and was struggling a little bit and that's why I took him out.
On whether Duke missed an opportunity in the sixth inning:
Without a doubt. We had the bases loaded and had a chance. I can't put that inning together for you right now, but when I saw them go to the pen I was thinking, 'man if we can get in the pen and get us a couple (runs) here and get it back within three runs.' We haven't been able to put big innings together too often during the year. I say we're struggling offensively, I mean we're still a decent offensive team and for a kid (Mellies) to go out there and throw a complete game on a day like today when you're not used to (the heat), the game temperature had to be 90/91 degrees. He allowed them to have a chance not only tonight, but if Wake can win tonight he allowed them to stay out of the bull pen. The way things are set up, if they do win tonight , if they can get another performance like that, they can maybe make a run at it.
