Game Thread Lady Vols Softball NCAA Regionals

[Freak]

Was that a real camera or a phone camera?

Just a quick snapshot with my phone.

 

[f77f00]

Butch was watching Erin warmup a bit with his arms crossed looking all stern and intense. Wonder if he said a word to the girls pre-game?

 

[Ladyvol777]

Great win today Lady Vol's, now to the next game.

 

[Freak]

 

[LVJeff]

Well I watched Miss Amy's post game media session and for the second straight loss she had nothing to say about Tennessee. Karen spent about 20 or 30 seconds congratulating Utah and then Miss Amy says not one single word about Tennessee. Oh, except the ball Gregg hit for a home run was a double play ball - she knows because she seen it so many times before. And the air here in Tennessee is heavy so that penalized her hitters (I guess the air is mysteriously lighter when the LV's are batting).

Two days ago I knew nothing about this person. Right now I have nothing much positive to say about her. What a whiner.

 

[LVJeff]

I may have miscounted but SEC 6-1 in games against PAC-12 schools. TN, LSU, Alabama knock out Utah, Arizona St., and Washington. 8 SEC schools and 2 PAC-12 schools in the super regionals. Arizona still playing so could be 3. Go SEC!

 

[Smallvol#1]

Well I watched Miss Amy's post game media session and for the second straight loss she had nothing to say about Tennessee. Karen spent about 20 or 30 seconds congratulating Utah and then Miss Amy says not one single word about Tennessee. Oh, except the ball Gregg hit for a home run was a double play ball - she knows because she seen it so many times before. And the air here in Tennessee is heavy so that penalized her hitters (I guess the air is mysteriously lighter when the LV's are batting).

Two days ago I knew nothing about this person. Right now I have nothing much positive to say about her. What a whiner.

Could you explain how a home run is a double play ball? I know what a home run is and I know what a double play is, or I thought I knew. But by my understanding, a home run could NOT be anything else. Or is there a way to have an error and make the hit a homer, or the ball hits somewhere in play and bounces around and the runner stretches it to a homer, or...? Pull for the team, but don't know the,game:unsure:

 

[Slydell]

Well I watched Miss Amy's post game media session and for the second straight loss she had nothing to say about Tennessee. Karen spent about 20 or 30 seconds congratulating Utah and then Miss Amy says not one single word about Tennessee. Oh, except the ball Gregg hit for a home run was a double play ball - she knows because she seen it so many times before. And the air here in Tennessee is heavy so that penalized her hitters (I guess the air is mysteriously lighter when the LV's are batting).

Two days ago I knew nothing about this person. Right now I have nothing much positive to say about her. What a whiner.

She is right about that. It's a big difference in her team playing a lot of games around 4500' altitude with 10-15% humidity. LV's train and play in this area, so they get acclimated to it to some degree. Utah has a good team but really happy to see the LV's advance. Need to keep this Mojo goin.

 

[Sandvol]

The Utah coach might not be a very good loser but her team is well coached and schooled. I'm very impressed with her. They play great defense. That's a lot of excellent coaching.

 

[LVJeff]

The Utah coach might not be a very good loser but her team is well coached and schooled. I'm very impressed with her. They play great defense. That's a lot of excellent coaching.

I understand being impressed with her coaching, or at least her team's play (for all I know it's the male coach responsible for the team's play). I am not impressed with her. She gave Tennessee no credit and took little if any personal responsibility for the two losses.

 

[LVJeff]

She is right about that. It's a big difference in her team playing a lot of games around 4500' altitude with 10-15% humidity. LV's train and play in this area, so they get acclimated to it to some degree. Utah has a good team but really happy to see the LV's advance. Need to keep this Mojo goin.

It's the ball that goes over the fence, not the player.

The LV's have 99 home runs on the year. Utah has 42. The lighter air in Utah didn't help Utah's players hit a lot of home runs. The heavier air in Tennessee didn't stop Tennessee from hitting a lot of home runs.

It's the players not the air.

 

[LVJeff]

Could you explain how a home run is a double play ball? I know what a home run is and I know what a double play is, or I thought I knew. But by my understanding, a home run could NOT be anything else. Or is there a way to have an error and make the hit a homer, or the ball hits somewhere in play and bounces around and the runner stretches it to a homer, or...? Pull for the team, but don't know the,game:unsure:

You'll have to get the Utah coach to explain it. I took it that the pitch was designed to induce a grounder to an infielder that would result in a double play by her team. The coach stupidly failed to tell this to Meghan Gregg who instead hit the ball out of the park.

 

[LVJeff]

A question about the LV hitting in this game - given that the Utah pitchers were throwing so much off-speed stuff, why did most of the LV batters stand in the back of the batter's box? They were way in front of the pitches most all game long. I kept waiting for them to adjust but they never moved up in the box.

Did anybody hear Ralph say anything about it or have an opinion?

 

[LVJeff]

Great catch Shaliyah. First warning track catch I've seen in a while.

That ball just kept carrying.

It's all that heavy air in Tennessee. The ball can't come down, it just keeps rolling along like it's on a cushion or something. For Tennessee it keeps going until it's over the fence, but not for Utah.

 

[f77f00]

Other than getting a lot or train track ball, I wonder what it would require to go home with a ball from our stadium? They will come after kids and old ladies for those foul balls!

 

[Smallvol#1]

You'll have to get the Utah coach to explain it. I took it that the pitch was designed to induce a grounder to an infielder that would result in a double play by her team. The coach stupidly failed to tell this to Meghan Gregg who instead hit the ball out of the park.

Thanks for the answer, Jeff. Maybe no one ever told her things don't always go as planned, and MG just introduced her to a Burns poem.

 

[Sandvol]

Just to let everybody know a ball should travel farther at higher altitudes because the air is less dense. Not a whole lot less dense but for instance in Colorado when they have the PGA tour there their golf balls travel about 10% farther. Humid air is actually less dense than regular air because water's molecular weight is 18 whereas oxygen is 32 and nitrogen is 28. But, for the most part air behaves close to an ideal gas and humidity doesn't affect travel of the ball. Unless it is so humid it is raining then that's another story. Just thought I'd throw that little tidbit in there.

 

[Sandvol]

I understand being impressed with her coaching, or at least her team's play (for all I know it's the male coach responsible for the team's play). I am not impressed with her. She gave Tennessee no credit and took little if any personal responsibility for the two losses.

A lot of people have been underestimating Tennessee lately and not realized how much the team has adapted and improved. They just find ways to win. I know she really wanted to get her team to the super and possibly WCWS. The PAC 12 must really hate the fact the SEC has overcome them and become the dominant softball conference. She doesn't have to be a good loser. I don't hold it against her.

 

[arkyvol]

re: the Utah coach. It doesn't bother me that she's less than gracious--I know of few good coaches that are. It just shows she doesn't like losing. I'd rather beat that kind than one who's good at it.

 

[LVJeff]

Thanks for the answer, Jeff. Maybe no one ever told her things don't always go as planned, and MG just introduced her to a Burns poem.

I am sorry and apologize for being so short with you. I hope I answered the question correctly but I was so put out with the Utah coach's refusal to give Tennessee any credit that I let that affect my attitude in answering your question. You deserved better.

BTW, educate me on the Burns poem. I wasn't a literature guy.

 

[LVJeff]

re: the Utah coach. It doesn't bother me that she's less than gracious--I know of few good coaches that are. It just shows she doesn't like losing. I'd rather beat that kind than one who's good at it.

I'll take coaches like Karen and Ralph and Pat Summitt any day of the week over the Utah coach.

How hard is it to say something like:

"Congratulations to Tennessee. They are a well coached team and played really hard. I want to thank them and the NCAA for putting on a fine regional. Hopefully we can learn from this and improve and do better next year".

That isn't hard to say and takes only 20 seconds.

The old saying that sports builds character is incorrect. The correct saying is that sports reveals character. These two losses to Tennessee revealed the Utah coach's character.

But I've said too much about this already so I'll move on.

 

[Smallvol#1]

I am sorry and apologize for being so short with you. I hope I answered the question correctly but I was so put out with the Utah coach's refusal to give Tennessee any credit that I let that affect my attitude in answering your question. You deserved better.

BTW, educate me on the Burns poem. I wasn't a literature guy.

You know itjust don't realize you know it.

"The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men
Gang aft agley," To a Mouse by Robert Burns

Or...the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray (or awry).

Your answer was fine; bad manners, poor losers, ungraciousness, etc. bother me too, and none of those applies to your response. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Grammar Nazi and history major...totally lost on softball:huh:

 

[LVJeff]

You know itjust don't realize you know it.

"The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men
Gang aft agley," To a Mouse by Robert Burns

Or...the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray (or awry).

Your answer was fine; bad manners, poor losers, ungraciousness, etc. bother me too, and none of those applies to your response. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Grammar Nazi and history major...totally lost on softball:huh:

Yes I am familiar with that saying. It applies to all of our plans sooner or later.

 

[Terra]

Ok I get being upset with the Utah coach. BUT...comparing the Weekly's with Summit??? Don't they need some Championships??? Let's start with one. Summit is on a different level and always will be.

I'll take coaches like Karen and Ralph and Pat Summitt any day of the week over the Utah coach.

How hard is it to say something like:

"Congratulations to Tennessee. They are a well coached team and played really hard. I want to thank them and the NCAA for putting on a fine regional. Hopefully we can learn from this and improve and do better next year".

That isn't hard to say and takes only 20 seconds.

The old saying that sports builds character is incorrect. The correct saying is that sports reveals character. These two losses to Tennessee revealed the Utah coach's character.

But I've said too much about this already so I'll move on.

 

[LVJeff]

Ok I get being upset with the Utah coach. BUT...comparing the Weekly's with Summit??? Don't they need some Championships??? Let's start with one. Summit is on a different level and always will be.

I was comparing their level of respect for their opponent, not their championships. That is, the Weekly's as well as did Summitt when she coached all spoke highly of their opponent and congratulated them after a game.