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NCAA WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

May 29, 2015

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

Florida 4 - LSU - 0

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by LSU head coach Beth Torina and student-athlete Carley Hoover, student-athlete Bianka Bell, and student-athlete Kellsi Kloss.

COACH TORINA: I think we understand why Lauren Haeger is the Player of the Year. She's a special player. She had a great day. We didn't make very good adjustments against her on the mound. And she had the big hit that really was the difference in the ballgame. So we've got to play better. We've got to make adjustments. But ultimately I'm still really confident in our team. I think we're still in a good spot to make a good run at this. We still have plenty of pitching left. I feel really good about our chances, though.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Coach, how disappointing, I guess, is it to load the bases in the first inning and not get anything out of it, especially when you're playing against a pitcher of this magnitude?
COACH TORINA: I think that was a big turning point. Even though it was so early in the game in the first inning I think if we can capitalize right there after we shut them down on their offensive side. If we could capitalize right there, I think it puts them in a different mindset and I think it's a completely different ballgame. It was a huge moment. She made big pitches. That's why she is who she is.

Q. Carley, can you talk about, did you have your strength? Did you feel good going into the innings or did you get a little tired or how did you feel?
CARLEY HOOVER: No, I wasn't tired at all. I was really pumped up for this game. I really was thinking before I came in here. I really can't think of a single time this season that we haven't come back ten times stronger. So I'm just ready for tomorrow.

Q. Carley, with the bases loaded in the first, how did it feel to get out, get them out of that with a strike out?
CARLEY HOOVER: It felt good. On top of the strikeout, our defense was strong all day. We made that double play. Everything that we were doing all day, we were really strong. So just hopefully our bats are working tomorrow.

Q. Kellsi, not only as a hitter who had to face Lauren, but also seeing her as a catcher, what impresses you so much about her as a pitcher?
KELLSI KLOSS: As a pitcher, Lauren (Haeger) keeps a really good mix of pitches. She has an off-speed pitch, which is really good. Her hard stuff is pretty hard, it's almost to 70 miles an hour. They call a really good mix of pitches. She's a veteran. She's a senior. She's been here three times before. She knows what she's doing. And then on the opposite side I think that's to their advantage with hitting, she's a very good hitter as well. Like Coach, said that's the reason she's the player of the year.

Q. Coach, could you speak to you guys got 27 runs against them in the series in Gainesville. Did you think it was going to be that kind of a game tonight?
COACH TORINA: Of course not. I mean, this is a different team I think that we're facing. I think Lauren Haeger is in a different spot. She's continued to get better as the season's gone on. We knew we had our work cut out for us. We knew this wasn't going to be a blowout by any means. We thought we would compete with them a little bit deeper into the game. It never was out of hand, by any means. But I thought we would have more opportunities with runners on base and things there. But by no means did I think we were going to walk in and blow out the University of Florida, who is the reigning national champion. That never crossed my mind, no.

Q. Bianka, what did you see from Lauren Haeger today?
BIANKA BELL: She just did a really good job jamming us on the inside pitch. She just made adjustments on us and found a way to get it done for her team.

Q. Coach, did you struggle with the decision who to pitch today, or was it easy, and how do you feel about your pitching trying to fight through the loser bracket moving forward?
COACH TORINA: I think if anybody can come through the loser's bracket it's our team. We have the most pitching depth, I think, in the tournament. I feel really good about what we have left. We haven't even put Allie Walljasper who was named an All-American on the mound yet. We have a lot of good options left. I feel really confident in our depth there. And I thought the decision to give the ball to Carley (Hoover) today was a good one. How could it not be with her postseason numbers, her ERA, the things that she's done for us in the postseason? Anytime we're giving her the ball, we have a great opportunity to win ballgames.

Q. Coach, how much preparation did you guys do against Haeger as opposed to scouting (Aleshia) Ocasio or Delanie Gourley?
COACH TORINA: I would say 100 percent of our preparation was for Haeger. They hadn't started the others in a while, since I think the first game of the regionals. We were pretty confident that's who we were going to get. Tried to prepare for her. She's tough to prepare for, though. She does a lot of different things. She puts the ball hard on your hands and throws a changeup away from you. It's tough to prepare for her. We know she's throwing well right now. That's the whole thing. It seems like Florida has a senior pitcher that steps up this time of year every year that really does a great job for them. Like I said before we even took the field, Florida understands how to win. They understand how to win this time of year. We're still young. We still have a lot of young kids. I'm sitting here with two juniors, a freshman. We have a lot of underclassmen in the game today. That's something we're still learning. I think we have a really talented team. I think we're getting better every time we step on the field in these situations, and I think we'll be better from this.

Q. Coach, in all five games now the team that scored first has gone on to win. How much does it change the complexion of the games on this stage when you're going in with a deficit?
COACH TORINA: No question. Like I said, if we can score with the bases loaded there in the first inning, it's a completely different ballgame. I think it just gives your defense so much more room to work. I think your pitchers get to pitch -- they get to attack more, get to pitch ahead more they get to go at hitters a little bit more. I think it completely changes the dynamic of the game scoring first. And obviously we know our team does a better job when they score first. But I would think every team in America would say that same statement. So we played from behind. We can play from behind. But we would have loved to have scored first.

Q. What can you draw on losing to Arizona State way back when and going on a roll again to try to do that again here in the World Series?
CARLEY HOOVER: Well, like I said earlier, I can't think of a single time we haven't come back stronger. We even beat Florida twice in the series in regular season. We scored nine runs in the first inning. That was great. I have 100 percent confidence in this team. Like Coach said, we have the depth to do it in every single way. I think we have the depth in hitting, pitching, defense, everything. And I know my team and I know we're very, very capable.

BIANKA BELL: I would just say we need to flush it out, let everything go, just come back stronger tomorrow and just try to get the timely hits and make the timely plays when it's needed and just get the job done.

KELLSI KLOSS: I just think we have a lot of fight. And all of us want this really, really bad. We weren't satisfied with just making it to the World Series. Our goal is to win it. It's about how much fight you have. And I think this team has a lot of fight. You can see that with Regionals, how we won the game against Nebraska and then beat Arizona twice on Sunday, put up the numbers like we did against Arizona. So I think it just comes down to fight and how much we want it and we want it really bad.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.
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