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NCAA WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

May 28, 2015

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

LSU 6 - Auburn - 1

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Auburn University Head Coach Clint Myers, student-athlete Branndi Melero, Kasey Cooper, Rachael Walters and Morgan Estell.

COACH MYERS: We're still in this. We talked about it as a team. We played a very good LSU team. The difference as I see it is that with two outs, they got key hits and we had opportunities. Again, we didn't do it. But we hit a lot more balls hard. We had a lot more quality at-bats. I thought our pitching was good. We made two mistakes. And the balls that they hit for home runs, those weren't pitches that were down the middle. One was in her eyes that she tomahawked down the line, and the other was a great change. I have no problem with those pitches. The key things is it's just handling the ball. And we gave them an extra opportunity. But I like the way we finished. I thought we gained some momentum for our game on Saturday. We know who we play. It's not like we haven't seen them. It's the same team we played in the SEC championship. So it's going to be a great softball game. I like our chances, and I think we're moving in the right direction.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. For any of the players who want to answer, were there any jitters, or did you guys feel calm, or did it take a little bit to get over the stage for any of you?
KASEY COOPER: I don't think there were any jitters. It's just another ballgame. Yes, it's the College World Series, but I don't think that any of us were nervous or played tight. You saw that was evident after we saw her one time around. We started hitting the ball more hard and had better quality at-bats. I don't think there were jitters at all. I thought it was just another ballgame and another field we were trying to get used to.

MORGAN ESTELL: I agree with Kasey (Cooper). I don't think there were any jitters. We had quality at-bats. We hit hard balls right at people, and they had good hits with two outs, like coach said, and we couldn't string enough hits together.

RACHAEL WALTERS: I agree with both of my teammates. I don't think there were any jitters. Kind of helped that we played an SEC team that we've already played before, I think. And we just came out ready -- well, ready to play. The odds didn't really go in our favor today. But I don't really think we were nervous and we're ready to get back at it I guess on Saturday.

BRANNDI MELERO: We prepare for stuff like this. Coach has worked us really hard, and they prepared us and told us that crowd's going to be big, make sure you communicate and everything. So I felt we were prepared coming out here. Like Rachel (Walters) said, the odds weren't in our favor. But it doesn't mean we were done. We're going to come back and continue to win.

Q. Branndi, when you play against the teams that you've seen before in the tournament, five SEC teams, does that make things more comfortable for you, or would you prefer to see other teams? I mean, I guess is it more comfortable to play against teams you've seen before?
BRANNDI MELERO: You always feel comfortable playing against teams you've seen multiple times. You're facing the same pitchers that you face in the SEC Tournament. And I feel like an SEC team playing an SEC team is kind of an upper hand for us. So to us it's just like another game. Like we've done it before, and if we have to continue doing it, then that's what we have to do.

Q. Rachael, looked like you had good stuff out there today and were throwing controlled. Did you feel that way?
RACHAEL WALTERS: Yeah, I felt really comfortable today. Like I said, there weren't many jitters today. I faced the hitters before, so I pretty much know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and I just try to play to that. I just went out there and threw my game. And I thought it went pretty well on defense-wise.

Q. For anybody. You play Tennessee a few weeks ago in a clutch pressure game in the SEC Tournament championship game. Now that you've been here in this atmosphere, how will it be different playing a familiar team at this stage? How is this different, you played these guys three weeks ago, but this is a bigger game, how is it any different?
BRANNDI MELERO: It's not going to be any different. A game is a game. Doesn't matter who is across the dugout from us. We just have to go out there and play Auburn softball.

KASEY COOPER: For us at that point, that was the biggest game we ever played. I think it's the same way. Now we're playing for our lives, our backs are against the wall and we're coming out fighting.

RACHAEL WALTERS: I agree. It's not a bigger game to us because we do this every day. And I mean, yes, that was in the SEC championship, but this is at the World Series. And like Kasey (Cooper) said, we're fighting for our lives. I think that's just the point of view we're going to come out playing for.

MORGAN ESTELL: I agree with everything they say, I'm not going to repeat it.

Q. Kasey, talk about the play on the bunt, the double play, and kind of how disappointing was it that that didn't end up stopping that inning like it would?
KASEY COOPER: Well, Corey (Myers) and Coach really harps on not letting the bunts go down this week. We knew LSU is a speed team. We didn't want that to come into play like the last series we played against LSU. So we really focused on being able, on bunts, to get the outs, and it just so happened that she left it in the air long enough for me to be able to grab it. And then I threw it up to (Emily) Carosone to hopefully make a play, and she did. So it was a little disappointing; however, they came out with two outs and we didn't. So they capitalized.

Q. Coach, with the day off tomorrow, what do you guys focus on, or what do you work on, how do you use the day off to get ready for Saturday now?
COACH MYERS: It's like any other day. We're going to go do our work and we'll let them experience the great city of Oklahoma City here, and do a few things. I mean, there's a lot of the World Series that they haven't experienced yet. They need to so they can see the vast entity that this thing really is. And we'll go and do our daily workout and get our work done so that we're prepared to play Tennessee on Saturday.

Q. You know better than they do what the path is to go from losing the first game to try to fight through four games in two days, if you're successful. How do you prepare for that and yet still take it one at a time?
COACH MYERS: I mean, I think the last team to do it was Florida. And they came back and we played them in the World Series, so it can be done, in the championship series, I'm sorry. It is exactly what you said, it's just one game at a time, and whether we have to play two or three or four, whatever it would be, we came here to play. We came here to prove that we deserve to be here. And we're going to take it one game at a time and we're going to go out there and we're going to keep getting better. And it's just one of those things. You just play one and take a little breather, go eat some dinner, and then come back and play a second one and I'm hoping we're here to play that fourth one you were talking about. Because then that will put us in the championship game. It is just one at a time. But I was proud to how they battled back and the way we finished that. So we can do it.

Q. Coach, you said you like your chances playing against Tennessee. Just what's that matchup like for you?
COACH MYERS: Well, it's just two old guys that will be playing a game of softball. I mean, last time we played it was way past both of our bedtimes. So, Tennessee is a well-coached, well-disciplined team. They know us, we know them, and it's going to come down to simple execution, not beating yourself, taking advantage of mistakes, timely hitting. So those are the things that they preached and we preach. And so it's just which team can go out there and do the things that they prepared for. If we can do that, then I like our chances.

Q. Morgan and Branndi, you both had good solid hits off of Carley Hoover. What was it about the way she was pitching and how were you able to solve her to give your team a chance today?
MORGAN ESTELL: For me, I see a good pitch, hit it, it's not any different, no matter who is pitching, just up there, get down on time and put your barrel on it, and that's all I focus on.

BRANNDI MELERO: I think it was the fact this is the third time we've seen her pitch the whole game, and you go in there and you learn from your mistakes from the last time and you watch film. That's what it comes down to.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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