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NCAA WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

May 30, 2019

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

UCLA-7, Minnesota-2

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Minnesota.

Natalie, had you a big hit in the rally when you scored the two runs. Did you have a sense then you were right back in the game after that inning?

NATALIE DENHARTOG: Yeah, I mean, throughout the game I don't think there was a moment where I didn't think we were in the game. We saw Garcia well. At the end of the day, you have to tip your hat. We just didn't see her well enough. I never thought there was a moment where we didn't have a chance or we weren't in it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Allie, on your hit, big hit, drove in a crucial run. Were you looking for a certain pitch? Did you get the pitch you wanted? You were up there trying to stay alive?
ALLIE ARNESON: Yeah, with Rachel, I was trying to stay alive. But she did give me inside low. I do like that pitch, so it worked out (smiling).

Q. Amber, how challenging was it to sort of attack the UCLA hitters?
AMBER FISER: I mean, it was hard. Probably one of the best teams I faced all season. To go out there, throw my pitches, trust my stuff. They got a few good hits out there. I had confidence in the defense behind me. I think that's what kept us in the game the whole time.

Q. MaKenna, Natalie talked about not talking like you were ever out of it. How much can you latch on what you were able to do in the fifth inning moving forward?
MaKENNA PARTAIN: I think it's huge. Gave us that little boost that we belong here. There's no doubt about that. We competed with one of the -- the best pitcher in the nation, Player of the Year, besides Amber (smiling).

AMBER FISER: Thanks.

MaKENNA PARTAIN: It gives you that extra little boost of confidence. I think it's good for us to just thrive off that, know we competed and we challenged the heck out of her. I think that's really encouraging for us.

Q. For the players, your season is not over, but can each of you talk about the fact that you make history with every pitch of this World Series.
AMBER FISER: Yeah, I think we all talked about that before coming in today. We kind of had a team discussion, we were like we already made history, we just have to keep adding to it. Whether it turns out in our favor or not, we still stick together as a team and as a family. I think that's what makes this team so special. No matter what we're ranked, whatever the opponent is, we always feel like we're the underdogs. We really use that to our advantage and attack the other team.

MaKENNA PARTAIN: Yeah, I agree 100%. It's just encouraging like I said before. There's nothing better than being here. It's a dream come true for all of us. But we're not done yet. We're really excited to get after it on Saturday. We're ready to battle, for sure.

NATALIE DENHARTOG: No yeah, I mean, all year we've talked a lot about dreams, chasing and hunting your dream. Being here, being able to make history is definitely a dream come true. But the dream goes so much more than that. It's about the journey we took and the story we wrote to get here. We're just excited to continue to write that story because it's not over yet.

ALLIE ARNESON: Kind of what they've all said (laughter).

But, yeah, definitely, we all are dreaming big. We're a family. We came here, taking a lot of pride being here at the Women's College World Series. Just fighting together and standing by each other is awesome.

Q. Allie, could be your last game Saturday. This happened going back to Alabama two years ago. Did you have a resolve from that that's going to help you tomorrow? You went through that, now we don't want that to happen again?
ALLIE ARNESON: Back to Alabama my sophomore year, that's not a good feeling. Definitely I don't want to feel that again. I don't want to feel that Saturday. Just going to play my heart out. We're all going to play our hearts out.

NATALIE DENHARTOG: This team is scrappy. We're going to fight till the last out. No one wants their season to end. We're going to fight till it's over.

MaKENNA PARTAIN: It's not about Alabama, what happened our freshmen year. Yeah, it wasn't great. Didn't feel great. It's about this year. We're excited to play on Saturday. We're excited to play against Washington. We haven't had the best games against Washington in our careers either.

We're ready to stick it to them once, for sure.

AMBER FISER: I mean, yeah, like basically what all they said. But this team is really big on letting the seniors go out with a good memory. So obviously we don't want Washington to do that a third time. We're going to be ready. Yeah, we're not done yet.

Q. Amber, home run right off the bat. Does that throw you off kilter for a second?
AMBER FISER: Honestly, it kind of got the nerves away. I'm like, All right, that's fine. I just came out against the next group of batters. I was surprised she hit it. Props to her. She hit a pitch out that I didn't think she could. I mean, I had to go attack the hitters right after her.

Q. What was the pitch?
AMBER FISER: It was a rise ball.

Q. Rounding first...
MaKENNA PARTAIN: I can't wait for the gif that's going to come about that one (laughter).

Q. That was the first hit for the lineup.
MaKENNA PARTAIN: So I got a hit.

Q. What is that like in front of 10,000 people?
MaKENNA PARTAIN: Honestly, it happened. I can't change it. I fell. Like I said, it's going to make a really funny GIF. I laughed about it right when it happened. I got up, was dying laughing with my first base coach.

I mean, it happened. I slipped on the ground. Just gave out from underneath me. Yep, I still got a hit, so it's pretty cool. A double to a single, that doesn't happen very often with me. A little weird, but it's fine. I'm over it.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies. You are excused.

We'll continue with questions for coach.

Q. What did you think of Amber's resolve, her ability to pitch through almost a complete game, yet she kept UCLA with three runs up until the sixth inning?
JAMIE TRACHSEL: Yeah, I mean, she battled. One thing we talk a lot about, it's not specifically to Fiser, but attacking leadouts. We didn't do a great job of that. They got on base. For us, collectively, when we talk about our pitching and defense, attacking leadouts, defending 60 feet, scoring position. Especially those first three innings, they got their leadoff on each inning.

Then defensively there was a couple plays we actually knew coming into the game, we watched video on, we ended up giving an extra 60 feet of scoring position from first to third on that groundball through the infield. We knew that kid was going to bunt. I think we showed them eight different videos of that kid bunting. Obviously we had an error to extend the inning.

Fiser battled. When our offense scored the two runs, we got ourselves back in the game. Then we also talked about UCLA doesn't give up. When they have two outs, they actually score a lot of runs, we extended that inning a little bit. They made us pay for it.

I'm proud of how we fought, though. We haven't felt a loss like this for a while. We haven't lost for a while. UCLA was going to make us beat them, and we couldn't. We also kind of added to that and beat ourselves a little bit to extend probably the score. We haven't done that for a while.

I was proud of how we continued to battle even in the seventh inning, the type of communication we were having throughout the game. What our locker room talk was like heading into a day off, heading into Saturday, so we'll be ready to go.

Q. Did you sense any nerves? If you did, when did you see those go away?
JAMIE TRACHSEL: I don't think really nerves to be honest with you. For Fiser, first team All-American. She's done so much for us. She's the biggest reason that we're here right now.

I think UCLA doesn't let you settle into a game. I think that was part of it, too. Whatever she was feeling. I don't want to speak on that because I didn't have that conversation with her. She didn't look quite as comfortable that we've seen her in previous games.

You come out, they put a pitch that wasn't even over the plate over the fence, then they get their leadoff, then another. They never let her settle in. That's the type of offense they are. That was something we hadn't experienced for a while because sometimes we've been able to work through that as a pitcher or as a team.

Credit to UCLA.

Q. Her five walks, do you think that was more the lineup, had to be a little cautious?
JAMIE TRACHSEL: We're not supposed to be cautious because when you're cautious you walk people, you're careful. It's respecting your opponent but not fearing them. Again, I don't know that she was doing that. Not quite as sharp. Definitely I think if you asked her that question, she would say that if she could throw some of those pitches again, she would try to put them in a better location.

Q. Did you have a plan with Fiser going into the game if you got behind, when you were going to take her out? If not, when did that pop into your head?
JAMIE TRACHSEL: Well, it was only three runs. Garcia is tough to hit. She's definitely tough to score on. We weren't not seeing her. We know it's not going to be a handful of singles that are going to push runs across the board. You have to try to lift one out, hit the gap. With three runs, we thought we were still in this game.

We got the two. Okay, we got back into it, here is our horse. Right after we got the runs, they responded with the inning they had that put the game out of reach. At that point it was getting the out. Hindsight is 20/20.

She's a person that got us here. She can get herself out of jams as well because she's a strike-out pitcher, has the change-up. She did. A couple times she got out of some of those situations, big pitches, big moments. We talked about that all year.

It just is what it is.

Q. Your players said time and time again it's not going to be over on Saturday. As a coach, what gives you the belief it won't be?
JAMIE TRACHSEL: Because we're not afraid. We're not afraid of the outcome. We don't fear the results. We're just trying to keep perspective. Perspective doesn't mean that you're just happy to be here. Perspective frees you up to allow you to go out there and keep it a game of execution so you can play your best when it matters the most, which is what we need at this stage because you're in the College World Series.

We've experienced so many great moments this entire season, especially the last couple weekends. We win together and we'll lose together. No finger pointing, take ownership, be accountable. We'll learn, make adjustments like we have this entire year.

We're a family. We're going to stick together. We're going to come out on Saturday fighting because we don't want our story to end.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297

NCAA WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

May 30, 2019

Allie Arneson

Natalie DenHartog

Amber Fiser

MaKenna Partain

Jamie Trachsel