2021 Women's College World Series Kaley Mudge Elizabeth Mason
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2021 Women's College World Series Monday, June 7, 2021 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Florida State Seminoles Kaley Mudge Elizabeth Mason Q. Elizabeth, congratulations to you and Kaley and the whole team. Can you talk a little bit about your Coach Lonni Alameda defense. You get a lot of attention for your offense, obviously, but you've had to adjust to a new position Postgame Press Conference at first base, and you had some really nice picks out there today and that great cutoff throw. Can you talk about how hard you've had to work on that? Florida State - 8, Alabama - 5 ELIZABETH MASON: When you have a coach who THE MODERATOR: This is the game 14 press believes in you enough to switch your position every year, I conference featuring the Florida State Seminoles, joined by owe it to her to be the best I can be, wherever she's going student-athletes Kaley Mudge and Elizabeth Mason. to put me. Q. Elizabeth, on that home run pitch, what did you see Defensively, we know we have a strong pitching staff, and from her, and what did that -- when you were able to hit defensively, all we can do is do the best for them, give that home run, what did that do for you guys, just your them the support that they deserve and put it together energy and really believing this could happen? offensively as best as we can and make sure that we hold that game down. ELIZABETH MASON: Obviously, Montana has a great rise ball. She also spots a couple low in the zone. I just Q. Kaley, let's follow up with you on the defensive wanted to get the barrel there. She flies a lot of power. As end. You made that great diving catch in the seventh long as I could get the barrel through the zone, I knew it inning against Bailey. You obviously have to respect would be a hard hit. I'm just glad it went over the fence. her power and play her a little deep, you had to come in pretty hard. Just take us through that play. I think a home run in the first inning is a great way to start the game. Obviously, we tend to score later in the game a KALEY MUDGE: We were back by the warning track lot after we get through the lineup one time, but I think because we know how much power she has. She hit a setting that pace for the game was well needed. home run earlier in the game, and she's a great hitter, so we were giving her that respect. When I saw it go up in the Q. Elizabeth, just a question. I asked you before you air, I wanted to make a play for Danielle and make a play left Tallahassee if you had a nickname for this team for my team. yet, and you didn't have one. Do you have one now, first question. And second question, just the fight in Q. For both of you all, you and your opponent in this this team? The young lady next to you, young player, WCWS Finals both traveled the same path, losing your everybody tonight just fought so hard. first game and winning all the way through. What gave you all the belief that you could go ahead -- in 2018, ELIZABETH MASON: I still don't have a nickname. I don't your program did this as well -- but to win all these think we get to choose the nickname. I think the fans will games in a row to get to the championship finals? come up with one. It's amazing to see Mudge's performance tonight. She's been one person on our team KALEY MUDGE: Yeah, I wasn't here when they won the who has worked tirelessly day in and day out. She's had it 2018, but I remember watching on TV, and I just remember in her from day one. I think as a team we've had it in us how much fight they had, and I think that's what we have from day one. Couldn't be happier that it's coming together this year too. We just have to fight for every pitch to our now, and I'm so proud of Mudge tonight. We all are. left and our right. I just think, if we look at the end goal, 108529-1-1222 2021-06-08 02:22:00 GMT Page 1 of 4 then we get too ahead of ourselves. We can't control the Q. I know obviously we don't have either of the outcome of any game. We've just been trying to fight one pitchers here, but I'm going to ask you all about them. pitch at a time. You knew how loaded the Alabama lineup was. Kathryn was the one who did a lot to get you all here, ELIZABETH MASON: I think there's something special but what can you say about all three of them? It took about FSU that allows us to block everything else out -- all three of them tonight to be able to hold off the block out the stats, block out the outcome, block out charge? anyone who's not in our corner. We just look to our left and our right. I look to Danielle, I look to Mudge, I look to KALEY MUDGE: Our pitching staff has been amazing all our coaches, and when you can fight for them, all you want season. We've really relied on them heavily. Kat started to do is give one more pitch, one more opportunity, and us off great, and Caylan came in and Danielle came in, and one more game. they pitched their butts off. It was fun seeing them all come together for a big win for us. That's what we did in 2018, and we know we can do it again because we've been there before. ELIZABETH MASON: When you're one of the last four teams left in the nation, there's going to be hits. Obviously, Q. For both players, this isn't a team that relies on Alabama, they're a top four team, one of the best teams in home runs, but you had three big ones in recent days the nation. We would expect nothing less from them, but from Dani and Anna and Elizabeth today. When you're our pitchers, they have worked so hard. They're amazing. at the World Series in this kind of setting, do those They dominate, and when they do slip a little, there's kind of hits build a momentum or energy beyond even always someone there to have their back. The second Kat the runs they produce? got a little shaky, it was Caylan. The second Caylan, it was Danielle. We know they're going to fight for us the same ELIZABETH MASON: I mean, a home run is definitely an way we're going to fight for them. energy builder, momentum builder, but obviously it's not the end all, be all for a winning team. I think we've been We have so much confidence in them, and it allows us to able to put together runs and wins offensively, situational be even better teammates, even better defense, and get hitting, just trying to scratch and claw. When we can get some stuff going offensively as well. those home runs across, I think it's a really good cushion for our pitchers, and it really loosens us up to try to get one THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Coach Alameda. run at a time. Questions for Coach. KALEY MUDGE: Yeah, I agree with Lizzie. All season Q. We talked to you before about the fight in this we've fought to find runs all we can. Home runs are great. game, but you have Lizzie, the senior, who obviously Situational hitting is great. We just try to play one pitch at a had a big hit in the first, and then it goes down to time, put the ball in play, and run the bases as best as we Mudge, who's a young player on this team. What is it can. Just trying to find a way to score runs. Home runs about their ability to fight and the culture you've are great and give a lot of momentum to us, but so does created here at Florida State? situational hitting and base hits. LONNI ALAMEDA: It's been the whole journey of the Q. Elizabeth, I don't know if this has already been season. I know our upperclassmen and our returning asked, but could you talk about the game plan coming World Series players really wanted to share the culture, the in for Montana Fouts, and what were you all seeing experience, the fight pitch by pitch, and yet they had from her that just made you all so confident at the pressures of their own trying to figure themselves out and plate today? how to compete also. ELIZABETH MASON: Obviously, coming off of a perfect I think the culture piece has really gotten us through here game, Montana is an amazing athlete, even better of a because there's many times they could have given up on pitcher. Saw a lot of strikeouts on that rise ball up in the the process part, and that's been so important to us.