WEST CHESTER POST GAME INTERVIEWS
West Chester pitcher Jordan Lehman
Q. Talk about today’s win and surviving.
A. Yeah, um, we came out there and battled right away off the bat. The third inning we got two runs and from there we just kept putting pressure on as an offense and as a pitcher and that’s all we could ask for going out there and getting runs to score so that’s always nice to have that.
Q. You had two innings there where Mansfield kind of attacked and had some hits, so let’s talk about that and what happened there
A. They’re obviously good hitters or they wouldn’t be here. If you miss a spot on them, they punish you so setting up anything over the plate, they know where to put it. Once you get here, you really can’t make any mistakes because everybody is a good team.
Q. Did you want that complete game?
A. Yeah, a little bit, but sometimes you gotta hand it over and it was the right move and you got to do the right move.
.
West Chester’s Joe Wendel
Q. Just talk about getting the win there today and surviving.
A. I mean, just like he said (Lehman), we battled. We didn’t have our best offensive stuff and I’m sure he’ll tell you we didn’t have our best pitching stuff, but we played well enough to get the win and played a clean game defensively, which is big.
Q. Yeah, and getting the insurance runs, like your home run was one of them, keep tacking on runs today and keep building the lead that turned out to be very important today especially because they came back there at the end of the game.
A. Yeah, you know you keep playing a tournament like this if you’re up two runs that’s really nothing. If you’re up three or four runs that’s still really nothing because all teams can score three, four five runs in an inning so it’s important to get as many runs as you can when you can and then just do damage control especially when things aren’t going your way defensively or a pitcher is not doing well. I mean one time a pitcher could be throwing well and another time the offense could be doing well; so it’s always somebody else always picking someone else up every game.
Q. Let’s talk about your home run, you got into it pretty well, would you say?
A. Yeah, I mean I was looking for a pitch in because he pitched me away for most of the day. I just got one pitch in and got my hands on it and turned on it.
Q. What has the season been like for you, hitting over .400 for West Chester?
A. I just try to go game to game. We don’t try to look at the stats or records or anything. We just play our game and if we do that, we’ll be just fine.
Q. So you don’t pay attention to your batting average or that .400 at all?
A. Well, I mean I’m aware of what I’m batting, but it’s not about one guy. We can go one through nine and every single one of us is here to help so that’s what’s important.
West Chester head Coach Mark Jackson
Q. Just talk about getting that first win that’s always important then.
A. Definitely. Even though a lot of our guys are experienced and have been at this tournament before, there’s always nerves in the first game, no matter how many times you have been there so getting off to a good start helps. We didn’t play our best. One of the points I try to make with the team is you don’t have to play your best to win. A lot of times people go to playoffs and try to turn it up a notch and play their very best and end up playing a lot less than their normal game and end up not doing very well, so we’re just trying to not play just great but to just play good.
Q. And you guys had the lead throughout. but they battled back a few times and in the ninth inning they ended up trying to tie up
A. Yeah, they have a good team, I mean everyone in this tournament is good so they’re always capable of coming back. Jordan was getting a little tired, they had a period of 12 batters and six of them got hit so we knew he was kind of on edge, but he’s been a real strong pitcher for us all year. Up at PSAC’s he gave up four runs in the first inning and was able to hold on and pitch a complete game. We thought he was going to be strong enough but again, he got a little tired at the end. And that’s expected. If you think you have a game won, you’re crazy because anybody can come back and win. Especially Mansfield with one of the best hitting teams.
Q. On tacking on insurance runs
A. Yeah, you got to get more runs and you have to constantly keep trying to score. Keep trying to increase the lead because that scenario can happen all the time. It’ll happen in other games. There is no such thing as a safe lead.
Q. Cutting down the base runners on defense especially on McGraths’ throw
A. Yeah, that was a big play. Kevin’s had six or seven assists this year from throwing out runners. That’s a big play. Overall, we made that one error near the end but played fairly good defense that one play in center field too, but things happen. Those guys have been playing good defense for us all year Charlie Kelly and Josh Hind
Q. Discuss Joe Wendle’s hitting all season.
A. One of Joe’s strengths is his ability to compete. He had some at bats with guys on base and didn’t do anything. Then comes up and hits a home run. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened this year with guys who hit .400. Those guys compete. Kutztown, Houck and Frey, those are two kids who are great like that. I’ve watched them play so many games. They come back time and time and time and again. Those are kids who compete.
MANSFIELD POST GAME INTERVIEW
Mansfield coach Harry Hillson
Q. Opening statement on game
A. It was a tough game to lose. Both teams played pretty well. We swung the bats well today, and pitched well at times. We gave up some free passes which was probably the difference in the game.
Q. Talk about the comeback. You fell behind 4-0, obviously made it 4-3 what enabled you to get back in the game?
A. We’re an offensive club. We usually score runs in bunches so we really weren’t concerned about being behind by a few runs. This is a long ball game. We play every inning one at a time and try to do the best we can. Our guys did swing the bats well today.
Q. Tomorrow you will play a team yet to be determined, what will you guys obviously do to advance
A. For us, the same things we did in this game will be the key to tomorrow’s game. We have to play good defense, swing the bats and get some good innings from our pitchers. We’re fortunate to get a good game out of Bernard Johnson. He gave up a few runs in the end but he did a great job so that’s why we left him in there. We got our whole pitching staff ready and that’s important to have that after the first day of the tournament.
Mansfield third baseman Mike Hartz
Q. Talk about the game, obviously you guys made it 4-3, what was the difference in the game in your opinion?
A. It was a great game between both teams. A break here or break there and it could’ve been different. What it really came down to was baseball really. Simple little things that if they went our way, would have made a difference in the game.
Q. Even though you guys lost what are you most happy about that taking tomorrow for confidence?
A. We did play good baseball. We didn’t make any errors. We just came up short today, which can be the game of baseball. Overall, I thought we played a great game today and the whole team did.
Q. You guys had off a little bit, where you happy you could swing after those days off considering how long you were off?
A. Yes, absolutely. We had 8-9 days off since our last game, but I thought we came out and swung the bats pretty well.
