Kutztown vs. Mansfield, NCAA Atlantic Regional Game #4 (Friday May 14, 2010)
Kutztown second baseman Brett Widger
Q. You came up in the same situation (bases loaded) yesterday, different outcome today, what was going through your head when you got up there?
A. Well, I talked to coach and he said pick a pitch to hit, fastball or curveball. I said I wanted to swing at the fastball, and he said alright just wait until you see a fastball with a good pitch to hit. The Mansfield pitcher started me with a curveball. Then he came back with a fastball so I just tried to get a good piece of it and drive it somewhere in the outfield to try and get a run in.
Q. Obviously it wasn’t the hardest hit ball for you, but it got the trick done. What was going through your mind when you saw it suspended in the air, like slow motion, waiting to drop?
A. Well I knew it was in bounds, and was so happy after yesterday because I didn’t do too well in that situation. I’m glad I found myself in that same situation today and was able to get the job done.
Q. Do you like being in that situation, and was it a confidence boost to have coach leave you in, stating he had confidence in you to get the job done?
A. It was real nice to have him have faith in me. I know I’m confident in that sort of situation because I don’t get nervous that much. I was pretty relaxed up there, just waiting and looking for a good pitch to hit.
Kutztown leftfielder Shayne Houck
Q. You’ve been struggling a little, did you change your approach to anything, or did things just start going your way today?
A. No, I didn’t change my approach today. Yesterday at the first couple of bats, I just felt uncomfortable. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the box. But today, it felt good getting that first hit and getting the ball rolling. I just kind of went with it and it felt good to get a hit.
Q. With the eighth-inning home run, you were down 0-2. Did you guess right, or adjust and send the bomb out?
A. Two strikes, I was sitting on a fastball and then he adjusted the speed. He had a bad pitch, leaving it up in the zone over the middle of the plate. I just hit it and it went.
Q. The beginning of this game was similar to yesterday’s game, which cost you guys the game yesterday with the hitting not being there. In the ninth inning you put up four runs, is that when things finally went the right way in that inning?
A. I think after that home run, everyone got hope and got some fire in them. In the 9th inning we just came out and had good at-bats. The error on the pitcher really helped. We just went with it, and the intensity really came alive in the ninth after that home run.
Kutztown head coach Chris Blum
Q. Talking with Brad, he said he liked being in a situation like that. After yesterday, where things didn’t go your way, was there any doubt in your mind to leave him in the game?
A. At that time, I wanted to leave him in there. Talking with him at third base, I told him to just get a pitch he thought he could handle. It wasn’t pretty, but he got it done and got it open for us.
Q. Yesterday’s hitting wasn’t there, and in the beginning of today’s game, it lacked, which was scary. In the ninth you guys exploded with four runs. Is that what the team can do with timely hits?
A. Yes, I told them before; you have to win on heart and guts. That’s what we did today because we were not executing properly. Until that rolls around, we just have to keep going on, going after it until it does.
Q. When Adam came in to pitch lights out for the most part, would you say for him it was just for him to not want his season to end as a senior?
A. I know he’s going to go out there and give everything he’s got. He’s a warrior out on the mound, and we made a decision that if we’re going down, we’re going down with him on the mound.
Kutztown pitcher Adam Maini
Q. Coming into the game with the team down, possibly the last game of your career, did that go through your mind, or did you just focus on getting outs and keeping the team in the game?
A. I knew it could be my last time out there, so I gave everything I had and wasn’t holding anything back. I got lucky, so it was going through my head the whole time, but I knew if I just threw my game we could live to play another day.
Q. Obviously it wasn’t your game plan to hit the first guy but it worked in your favor to load the bases and then the line drive by Mike Kacelowicz for the double play. You had defense behind you out there.
A. Yeah, the defense today played really well for me. No complaints for them, everybody did their jobs. I was a little wild the last few times I was out there, but I seemed to get it together towards the end. Overall, this is a great team win for us.
Q. What does a game like this do for your confidence, exploding like that in the ninth inning?
A. That should boost our hitting up a lot. We gained our confidence from it, so hopefully the sticks will come around, keep pitching like that, keep doing everything we’re doing and hopefully come out of here with a Regional Championship.
Mansfield designated hitter Dan Chevelier
Q. Discussing the early 3-run home run, talk about that at-bat, what did you see?
A. Well, I was just up there looking to hit a good pitch. I was just trying to see the ball and looking for a fastball, but I got a curveball. I hit it and got it over the fence.
Q. In your opinion what was the difference in today‘s game?
A. The difference was situational hitting. Kutztown came up big a few times. We left a few guys on and had a few base running mistakes, but collectively we did a good job and left it all out on the field and that’s all you can ask for.
Q. Obviously you had a terrific season, what will you remember most from this season, best memories for the season for you?
A. The seniors, coming together as a group. I’m really going to miss them, but we’ll be back next year, and finish out what we didn’t get done this year, hopefully making it further next year for the ultimate goal: the World Series
Mansfield head Coach Harry Hillson
Q. Opening statement on the game, what proved to be the difference today?
A. We made some mistakes. We didn’t hit enough or pitch enough. You score more runs than the other team, you’re going to win.
Q. Obviously you got the start that you wanted scoring three runs in the first inning, talk about the early start and effort of the team today.
A. We swung the bats a little bit better today, but we were a little short with the hitting and pitching today. That’s the difference. If we can get a few more hits we’re in a lot better shape. If we pitch a little bit better, we won’t give up as many runs is what it all boils down to.
Q. Shayne Houck had a big game, what did you see from the dugout on the 0-2 pitch when Houck hit his game-tying home run.
A. It was a bad pitch on our pitcher’s part. We can’t take anything away from Shayne. It was just poor pitching on our part.
