California Head Coach Diane Ninemire
On team’s performance
I thought we did an excellent job today. We came out like we did all year long. We’ve fallen behind in games early in the game, and I thought that our true character came out. We didn’t panic. We just pulled together the winning hits and the timely hits that propelled us on to our victory today.
Cal Players
Sophomore RHP Katie Sutherland-Finch
On playing in her first NCAA Tournament game
It was definitely very exciting being at Michigan. There’s no team I’d rather be playing with than ours, and I was really proud of the way we came out. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
On team’s mentality after first win
Right now we’re just focusing on playing our game and making sure we trust in the process and ourselves. We got here together and that’s how we’re going to move forward.
Freshman IF Kobie Pettis
On opening the tournament with a win
It felt great. It’s so exciting to get to this point and I couldn’t be more proud of how far this team has come and where we’re going. It’s a great direction to be headed in.
On her mentality before she hit her home run in the bottom of the 2nd
I was relaxed getting into the box and just looking for a line drive, but it turned into a home run. It put us up and I think it just proved to everybody that we belong here.
Senior UTIL Cheyenne Cordes
On being back playing in the NCAA Tournament
It’s a great feeling, especially being a veteran and knowing what it feels like to be here. For the freshman, it’s such a great experience to have. You always dream about it, and now you’re finally here and it all comes full circle.
On what she was thinking at the plate in bottom of the 2nd rally
For me, personally, not only was I thinking about the at bat, but I was thinking about my grandma, who didn’t make the trip. I was thinking, ‘She’d really like to see me get a hit on TV right now.’
