June 2, 2005

Recap |  Final Stats |  Notes

California Head Coach Diane Ninemire:
General statement:
"I thought we didn't come out and play as well as we should have. We didn't get the usual pitching performance we receive and defensively we made some errors. Offensively, we didn't take advantage of the situations with runners in scoring position. All aspects of our game were just a little shy of what they needed to be. I feel very positive that this team will fight back. They've been in this situation before and they're a very mature group. I know come Saturday they will give it their all and come back and they'll be prepared to play Arizona."

On preparing for Arizona:
"I think we know the Pac-10 teams as well as anybody. It's going to come down to having great pitching performances, playing good defense. They have a lot of speed and power. We're going to have to get some time to get people in scoring position. When you play Pac-10 opponents, you either win or lose by one. We're all pretty equally matched. We're both great teams."

Senior Pitcher Kristina Thorson:
On entering a game with runners on base:
"It's always a tougher situation to come in. It makes you stay cool. You've got to put the ball in the zone. You've got to trust your defense in those situations and pitch your heart out."

UCLA Head Coach Sue Enquist
General statement:
"Anjelica (Selden) did a good job being poised on the mound. We had clutch performances, and I was proud of how we played the game overall. We stuck to a team plan offensively. I tip my cap to Cal. They have a terrific team, and they have wonderful pitching. But today, it was our turn to get a win."

On the difference between this year's UCLA team and past Bruin squads:
"We're young. Seven of the 10 starters are underclassmen. But what's different about this club is that they've faced so much adversity in terms of falling short during the year. It builds a tremendous amount of confidence when you come out of that on the other end. That's really been our mantra in the postseason. We bring all those troubles with us because if we can rely on what we've done in the past in our victories - when teams score on us first - we don't panic because there's still a lot of softball to be played. As far as making a comparison, every year is completely different. But with those losses throughout the year, you either fold and lose confidence or you climb out of it and are stronger for it. We're reaping those benefits right now."

UCLA Junior Emily Zaplatosch
On coming back to win the game:
"It's definitely a relief. Coming back from being down 1-0, it brings us back to the past couple of weekends and how we had proven to ourselves that we were able to come back from whatever hole we dug ourselves."

UCLA Sophomore Ashley Herrera
On her home run:
"It was big in that it made a difference. It was a really great feeling, and it felt great to make a difference in the World Series and to help the team get some momentum going."

UCLA Freshman Krista Colburn
On facing California pitcher Kristina Thorson:
"She's actually from my area in Washington, so I've had previous experience facing her. I was almost relieved to see a familiar face because I faced her throughout high school."