University of North Carolina Athletics
NCAA Chapel Hill Super Regional Game Two Quotes
June 9, 2013 | Baseball
South Carolina Head Coach Chad Holbrook
Opening Statement:
"Obviously our team played very well today for the most
part. Jordan [Montgomery] was incredible. To shut out a team like North
Carolina, that's an awfully hard task to do. He was terrific from pitch one.
Tanner [English] made an incredible play there in the ninth inning. He also got
a bunt down there that got a run in for us. He stole some bases. Joey [Pankake]
had the big double down the line, [which] kind of gave us a little bit of
breathing room there in the second inning. And Jordan was able to pitch around
a couple errors there, three errors. That's how good he was. Usually when you
make three errors against a team like North Carolina they are going to make you
pay, but Jordan was just too good today. He was terrific. I've seen him do that
before. I've seen him do it in high school and I've seen him do it in Omaha, so
I can't sit up here and say I'm surprised. He's an unflappable kid and he was
in total control today. That's a start and an outing that he will never forget.
That being said, the series is now 1-1. We haven't really accomplished anything
or won anything. We are not in a position where we can feel too good about
ourselves. We have nine innings to go, and hopefully we can come out with some
energy and play well tomorrow."
On his team's aggression
on the basepaths:
"Well, we were lucky enough to get a lead and then we just
wanted to try to keep scoring out of respect for North Carolina's offense. I
wasn't comfortable sitting there in the seventh or eighth inning up 8 to
nothing. I've seen them come back before. I guess they have kind of made a
living off of that. In that 7-2 game, everybody thought the game was over in
Durham against Clemson. They tie it up with five [runs] in the ninth and win
the game. We have the utmost respect for their team. I'm not going to feel
comfortable with any lead. We just had an opportunity there to kind of...[we] had
some fast guys out there that could run the bases and we just kind of turned
them loose. They were able to steal a few bags. I felt a little bit better with
the fact that we were up 8 to nothing and not 5 [to nothing] because they can
score runs in a hurry."
Sophomore P Jordan Montgomery
On if he had any
nerves facing North Carolina's lineup:
"No. Actually the elimination game kind of gave me a little
more incentive to do good. I didn't want our seniors to go out that way, so I
just wanted to get a win and try to get them back to Omaha."
Sophomore OF Tanner English
On his performance:
"Yeah, I was just trying to do all the little things right.
Just trying to help the team out any way I could. Whether it was getting a bunt
down or making a catch in the outfield, [I was] just trying to not to do too
much and just played my role on the team."
Sophomore SS Joey Pankake
On the key to their
success against Hobbs Johnson:
"We got a couple chances early to get a few runs across, and
we got a couple key hits. I hit and double down the line and then LB [Dantzler]
drove in a couple right after me, so that helped us out a lot."
North Carolina Head Coach Mike Fox
Opening Statement:
"Obviously the key to the game was [Jordan] Montgomery. He
was sensational for them from the first pitch to the very last one. It was a
complete game for him. We couldn't get anything going. I just thought that was
they key to the game- how well he pitched against us."
On the effect of
English's speed on today's game:
"Yeah, he can really, really run. We knew the bunt was
coming there, more than likely with the safety- with the safety squeeze, if you
put it in the right spot, it's sort of indefensible. That's how well he can
run. You don't see to many kids who can run like that and get the down line, and
that was a big play of the game."
On the state of the
Tar Heels' pitching staff:
"Obviously we didn't use a number of guys today, and that's
where you have to look at the silver lining. The score really doesn't matter
when you lose. Really now that we've lost, it's better that we lost this way
and not a 1-0 game or 5-4 game where you use Trent Thornton and Chris Munnelly
and Chris McCue. And they got the same thing, and I think we're both probably
in the same position in terms of relievers. I think Benton will be ready."
On RHP Hobbs
Johnson's outing today:
"It's certainly disappointing. I really thought Hobbs was
going to be ready. The key with him is his fastball command. It was
disappointing, but he's doing the best he can."
On not losing
back-to-back games this season:
"They don't like to lose, and they take it personal. We try
to take it all in stride. A loss is a loss, and you have to tip your hat to
South Carolina today, they just beat us. Tomorrow's a new day, and we'll talk
about that and put it in play tomorrow and play better."
Junior RHP Hobbs Johnson
On what he thought of
his outing today:
"It was just terrible. I wasn't locating balls up in the
zone, and with a good hitting team, this is what's going to happen."
"It was frustrating. That's probably the hardest I've been hit in my career, and it just goes to them being a good-hitting team. They make you play when you leave the ball, that's for sure. "
On if he felt
confident coming into the game:
"Yeah, I mean I always feel confident. We have great hitters
and great defense, and I just felt like I needed to have a solid outing to give
us a chance."
Freshman DH Landon Lassiter
On whether this game
shifts the momentum of the series:
"No, I don't think so. That's why you play three [games].
We'll come out tomorrow and be ready to play. I mean, we haven't lost two in a
row all year. We have a great group of guys, and I'm looking forward to it."
On what he was seeing
from South Carolina pitcher Jordan Montgomery:
"He's a good pitcher. He's got three really good pitches. He
located his fastball, his changeup was low in the zone today, and he just had a
good outing."
