Lowe on Jenae Berry’s outing picking up the team, and Arizona’s overall performance:
“I think it was. I mean, she did a great job of throwing her game and just limiting the damage. Gave us a chance to win the ball game. And we need to play better defense behind her. We need to hit better behind her. You know, they beat us in all the ways tonight, and it’s our job to respond.”On Arizona getting off to slow starts the last two days: “We have to execute a good softball game in all the ways. And so many
of the things we’re talking about are controllable. Our defense is super controllable. Us being able to hit spots and control the tempo of the game, all those things. It’s not us what we did defensively tonight, but we’re also stringing that together. Wo we have to show up tomorrow and settle into being ourselves, I think, offensively, just doing our job and passing the bat. And we have kind of bright spots throughout the lineup, but we’re not stringing things together and feeding off each other how we can. To the challenge is to be a better team tomorrow and execute in a better way.”
On Coastal Carolina’s play and Arizona’s offense: “I mean, they’re a good team. They’ve been a good team and a good program. They’re well coached, and they came out and swung the bat with authority. And the intent behind the way we’re swinging the bat right now isn’t always there one through nine throughout an entire game. And I think when we’re that way, we’re dangerous, and right now, it’s kind of spotted instead. We should even on our takes look like we’re going to do damage. And right now we’re trying to string some things together and feel that.”
On whether the feels rushed at the plate: “No. Those are all controllable things, and I think that those are things and thats’ we’re talking through right now is like controlling our pace, our tempo, just being able to channel the feelings we’re having at the plate, and just getting after it. I think kind of letting it fly a little bit, and just going for it, that’s a lot of things. You know, hitting is hard, but at the same time, I think we’re making a little too hard on ourselves, and against a good team that can happen.”
On preparing for Saturday’s slate: “Well, the great thing about our team is we do better with more information. So we need to show up and be ourselves. Learn from what we just saw. We’re gonna watch it on film, obviously, and then go in and execute a better game plan. Play solid defense, pitch the ball well, and then execute when we have runners in scoring position. We’re putting ourselves in chances, and then we’re just not executing. So, you know, we got our faces rubbed in the dirt, and now it’s our job to respond and show what we’re made of.”
Berry on her relief performance: “Tonight I thought I just brought my best stuff and knew that my defense was gonna figure it out and have my back behind me. Jalen’s had our back for last week and a half. She’s a dog, and tonight wasn’t her night, but I knew that she’s been such a great teammate, and she’s had my back every time that it was my duty to have hers.”
Jenkins on what made Coastal Carolina’s Abby Henderson difficult: “Yeah, I think that she was kind of keeping us guessing a little bit. She was coming in and out, both to righties and lefties, and she had that off speed. And I think also too, it’s more about us and less about her. So just trying to stay loose throughout our lineup and not so much focus on what’s going out in the circle out there, but what’s happening one through nine.”
On responding from this loss: “I think we just lean on each other. I mean, it bites. You hear them cheering on your home field. They just got the upset. So I think the best part about it is we get to face that team tomorrow, and we get a chance to start over.”
On whether Arizona has struggled out of the gate this week: “I wouldn’t even say it’s a stumbling block. I think it’s just us showing up and trying to play Arizona softball, and right now, I think we’re trying to play the other team’s softball. So again, showing up, representing the block A and really leaning into each other. I think that that’s the most important thing right now.”
On the team’s resiliency: “Well, I think last weekend, you know, we had that big loss against Oklahoma, and we were able to show up on Sunday ready to go. So I think number one, we just know what kind of team we are when we bounce back. And like coach Cait said at the end, like we get to choose what kind of team we are when we show up. So showing up tomorrow and just being ourselves.”
