Upcoming Event: Softball versus Salt Lake Community College on October 21, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
vs Salt Lake Community College
The University of Utah Athletics
Postgame Quotes
6/2/2023 11:03 PM | Softball
2023 Women's College World Series
Friday, June 2, 2023 | Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oklahoma State 8, Utah 0
Utah Utes
Amy Hogue | Ellessa Bonstrom | Haley Denning
Postgame Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Utah.
We'll start with an opening statement from Utah head coach Amy Hogue.
AMY HOGUE: Yeah, as long as I don't look at these two, I might be able to get it out.
The pride that these ones displayed and the way they wore those colors, super proud. Proud of what they did because it's an entire season, right, that we're talking about. They accomplished so much.
So it was fantastic year for the Utes.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for the players.
Q. Haley and Ellessa, you had a long day. Oklahoma State had a long night last night. You've played softball all day long all your lives. How different is it on this stage?
HALEY DENNING: Honestly, it didn't feel like a lot of pressure. I think -- gosh dang it, I'm going to start crying. This team has been so much fun. It's been an experience to come here.
We've tried so hard our past five years to get here. It's just awesome to be here. We just wanted to try to win for our team. But obviously it sometimes doesn't happen like that, so...
I just want to give a shout-out to my team because this has been amazing with them and they're awesome people, so...
ELLESSA BONSTROM: I mean, after the first loss today, we just went back to the hotel and just honestly did a reset. We knew coming back tonight was going to be a fight. I mean, this team has a lot of fight in them. This just wasn't our day.
I'm excited for the future Utes because this is going to be a big steppingstone for them. Like last year, it didn't go our way, and so I can't wait to see what the Utes are going to do next year.
Q. Looked like Lexi was pretty dialed in. Could you both give me an idea of what you saw from her.
HALEY DENNING: She's a great pitcher. Hands down to her. We just didn't make our adjustments as a team. Just got to see ball, hit ball sometimes, and we just didn't do that today.
ELLESSA BONSTROM: Like Haley said, she's a great pitcher. We knew she threw drop balls and we just couldn't make our adjustments early enough, couldn't get the ball in the air. It was just a lack of adjustments today.
Q. Your coach just said it, you're here, today is probably not fun, but this has been a season for you guys that's had a lot of moments. Can you tell me what this season has been like for you.
HALEY DENNING: I know after last year, we met as a team after we didn't make post-season, kind of just came together, like, without coaches and just said, This is how we want to be different.
This has been a season that's been building since the day we didn't make post-season last year. Being able to do it with, like, we have grit, we have energy, we have all the things. It's just been really cool to see how we turned the program around from what we were, having the belief and faith that we can make it here, so...
ELLESSA BONSTROM: Yeah, I mean, last year wasn't how we wanted to end. So from the very beginning of this year we knew what the World Series was our goal. It started from the very first practice to the very first meeting. I mean, we knew we wanted to end at the World Series.
To say that we actually did is honestly a dream come true. I'm so proud of this team, just the season we've had this year. I mean, we broke so many records. It was such a historic year for us. To be a part of kind of this rebuilding group of seniors, I mean, we didn't start out great, and we are leaving the program better than what we came into.
I mean, that's anything that I would hope. I mean, Coach H stuck with us for all five seasons. We rebuilt that program. I'm so happy that she got to get back to the World Series and that she has the team that she deserves.
Q. When did it become apparent during the game that it probably wasn't going to happen for you guys? What were some of the emotions you were feeling at that point?
HALEY DENNING: I don't think there was ever a point where we thought we couldn't do it. We're a team that likes to come back when we have our backs against the wall.
I don't think there was ever a point really where it felt like it was the end for us. The last inning we thought we were going to score, so...
ELLESSA BONSTROM: Yeah, I mean, there's not a doubt with this team. Doesn't matter how many runs we're down. We're going to find a way.
I mean, if you saw the dugout the last inning, we're all up, there's no tears shed until the very last out. I think that just goes to show, I mean, we believe in ourselves and we have all the confidence in the world regardless of outs, strikes. It doesn't matter. This team can get it done whether or not it shows up. It just wasn't our night.
THE MODERATOR: We'll continue with questions for Coach Hogue.
Q. What Ellessa said right there, the fact that even in the seventh inning that belief was there. What does that say about your team?
AMY HOGUE: They spend so much time together that the belief just grows and grows. The desire for each other to succeed, the support they have, it's never ending. It doesn't matter who's up, they believe they're going to get a hit.
If the hitter actually doubts, she's outnumbered. We always talk about there's too many people in that dugout that believe it, so you're not even allowed not to believe it.
I think that's what she's talking about. It's Capo's turn. You probably don't even know Capo, but we know Capo. The kid gets hits all the time for us. That's what they're talking about. They look at each other and they believe big. That comes from all the days together and all the things they've seen each other do.
Q. You got the short straw on the switched around schedule. They made a lot of policy changes with the bracket, trying to avoid multiple games in a day. At some point is there just nothing you can do with the rain?
AMY HOGUE: Yeah, I mean, I would have loved to spend a bunch of time getting angry about it because that's what I wanted to do. But that wasn't going to do anybody any good.
If there's things that need to change, then those are things we need to talk about, but not today. Today, this is what we've been told that we've got to do, kind of like the day we got two feet of snow on our field and we wanted to play, so we got shovels out and we got it done.
Then later you start to try to figure out how we can schedule things different to make it better. There was nobody complaining about it. Not me and not one of these 23 gals I brought with me.
You won't hear us complaining or making an excuse. It doesn't feel like it was only one day today. It feels like two. But, yeah, they did hard things today. They didn't come up on the winning end, but I couldn't have been more proud.
Q. Is there any way that Mariah could have pitched in the night game or the trainers said, don't risk it?
AMY HOGUE: I didn't talk to the trainers. I wouldn't have. She would have wanted the ball. The scout on them said drop balls would be the best way to get 'em out. It wasn't going down good. Didn't work out.
But I think Syd would have got the call anyway. She looked great, started really great. Left the ball up. They got on a roll, and you saw the rest of it.
No, Mariah could have gone. I'm sure if we would have caught up, we would have got her ready. But it was a day for those two seniors to go out there and do what they could, and they gave everything they had.
Q. There was a point in the game where you started to pinch-hit a lot of your main lineup, put some graduate students in there. At that point in the game, what was your thinking in terms of why you wanted to change things up? Seemed like maybe you wanted to give as many people a chance to play.
AMY HOGUE: Yeah, it was a little bit that. But also I needed them to get uncomfortable. I was hoping maybe they didn't know anything about those kids I had in the dugout. You saw how they did; they did great. Came off the bench ready and excited, gave us a little spark.
So it was twofold. I believed in them big. It was a little bit uncomfortable maybe for them because they hadn't scouted our bench very well.
Yeah, some of 'em hadn't played in a while, and I wanted to give them a chance to get a turn in the World Series. I guess that was threefold. I think I said three things, so...
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
Oklahoma State Cowgirls
Kenny Gajewski | Lexi Kilfoyl | Morgyn Wynne | Katelynn Carwile
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by OSU.
We'll take an opening statement.
KENNY GAJEWSKI: Well, obviously a really nice game for OSU. I told our team after last night's game that I couldn't wait to see what their response would be.
I had a good feeling. Not sure I could tell you we were going to come out and run rule. But I figured we'd play well. There's too much experience here. There's just too much talent here. There's too many great kids and great coaches.
I felt good. I felt good all day. Excellent pitching. I thought Lexi was on point. Defense making plays. We hit the ball like I know that we can. When we do that, we're pretty dang good.
Good win.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for players.
Q. Lexi, if I've done my research right, you've pitched in an elimination game before. What kind of mindset and approach do you like to take leading up into that game?
LEXI KILFOYL: I guess just try not to think of it as an elimination game because that's when you're going to fail. So I went in there and I knew I was going to take groundballs, my defense was going to have my back. Our bats came out right from the first inning, and they were just non-stop.
Q. Lexi, did you have a certain game plan going into tonight how you were going to pitch?
LEXI KILFOYL: No, it's just what we always do. Our infield is always ready for groundballs when I'm throwing. They know that. We were playing our orange coverage most of the game. Our defense was on fire.
Q. Katelynn and Morgyn, how did you all sense the vibe of the team before the game started? How important was it to have the big first inning to get things rolling?
KATELYNN CARWILE: I kind of knew just coming into today, like, all of us were excited. You could tell we were ready to go. We wanted to show what we can do after last night's game.
I think that first inning really set the tone for us. I thought it was great. We kept building off that the entire game.
MORGYN WYNNE: I would agree with Katelynn. There was like a refresh vibe. We kind of just left yesterday in the past and we came out today wanting to play OSU softball. That was really the only focus that we had today. For it to go exactly how we wanted it to in the first inning right out of the gate, that was a true testament to everything we talk about on a daily basis.
Q. Morgyn, you had the early hit, they were you were a part of the six-run second as well. What allowed you to have so much success at the plate tonight, especially after how everything went last night?
MORGYN WYNNE: Yeah, we definitely had a game plan about picking the pitches that we wanted, being on time for our pitch. I think that that's what made us most successful tonight, was attacking early in the counts, hunting the pitches that we knew we could drive very well.
Q. Morgyn and Katelynn, you guys had a long night last night. Utah had a long day today. Are most softball teams accustomed to this?
KATELYNN CARWILE: I think for me, kind of when I think back to travel ball, we would play eight games in a day which now you think is kind of crazy.
I think our fight and drive, anybody is built for this if you want it bad enough.
MORGYN WYNNE: Definitely growing up playing travel ball, we played in the qualifiers like sometimes five, six games a day. But it's something that you really prepare for when you decide that you want to play this sport. Like, you got to play this game for hours in a day or you wait around from the morning to the night to play. That's just what we sign up for the first day we pick up a bat and ball.
Q. Lexi, John came out pretty early. What did he say to you? It seemed to maybe flip a switch for you.
LEXI KILFOYL: Yeah, he noticed those balls I was throwing were close. He said, Don't change anything. Just keep hammering that, he's going to call it eventually.
He just came out and said, Keep attacking like that you always do and the good results will come.
Q. Lexi, every time I've seen you have had to field something, you seem to handle it pretty well. Is that something you've always been good at?
LEXI KILFOYL: Yeah, I definitely take pride in my fielding. That's one of my favorite things to do at practice actually.
Even from a young age on my travel ball teams, I would play first base all the time. They would just get balls at us all the time. I think that has definitely helped me today, just having like fast reflexes.
Q. I know folks around here are familiar with it. Last night Bullet didn't get much of a chance to make an appearance. What is the fun part, the dugout add to the game for you guys? After a day like yesterday, what does that do for you guys in the dugout?
MORGYN WYNNE: I think the Bullet reminds us to keep the game fun, to keep it light, to keep the energy going.
Yesterday was the first time we really hadn't seen Bullet make an appearance in the last three weeks. Today he was out running around, making his laps. I think that kind of brings a juice that we love in our dugout. We don't want that to go away again.
KATELYNN CARWILE: I agree with Morgyn, it does bring a lot of energy. All of us are just able to have fun. Honestly, it's probably the best part of the game, watching Bailey run up and down with Bullet.
THE MODERATOR: We'll continue with questions for Coach.
Q. You moved Morgyn up to cleanup. What went into that decision? I'm assuming you liked what you saw.
KENNY GAJEWSKI: Yeah, we just talked beforehand. Micaela Wark just hasn't been feeling good. It's kind of shown. But I want her in that area because she's a kid that's going to be around here for a long time.
We've kind of flip-flopped that four, five, six a bunch here. Just had a feeling. Morgyn seems to be the one that has really adapted to our style very, very well, what we want to do. She's really got her average up, really had an amazing year compared to last year.
She's just been so close all year. It's just like it's going to happen. It's kind of cool to see it happen on the biggest stage. I grabbed her before the game had started, right when we posted the lineup. I said, Hey, I moved you up, let's go, just let it go, let it all hang out and fly. Let's just make it happen.
She smiled and had a great look in her eye. I felt good. I mean, it's cool to see. It's been a great story all year.
Q. I know last night you said you thought you guys would respond well. You said maybe not a run rule. In preparing this morning, did you still feel that? Do you like to stay hands-off with the team, let them create their own motivation or do you like to be involved?
KENNY GAJEWSKI: No, I mean, I told them what I needed to tell them last night. I saw 'em a couple times here today. We had some gifts dropped off. We did some pictures and stuff like that. I saw 'em at a meal.
But, I mean, their energy was incredible all day. I think I saw Chy here today first. She saw me and just smiled. I was like, All right, we're good, like I thought we would be.
I felt awesome until about 3:00 or so. I went and got on the treadmill for a moment just to try to get some energy out. I may have been a little bit anxious, more than them, about that time.
These guys, they just know how to respond. That's what we talked about since we brought the program in the first week. We just talked to them about response. Response is going to be everything that we need.
I'm just proud of them, proud of the way that they just take care of themselves.
Q. You've been on the bad end of bad weather. Utah had a long day today. They looked fairly flat tonight. They made policy changes, format changes. At some point there's nothing you can do, weather, no dome?
KENNY GAJEWSKI: Yeah, we play an outdoor sport in June in this state. I mean, we're going to have that. Utah will be better for it, just like we have been. They'll be back here.
I should have said in my statement, you know, hats off to Amy and her staff for what they've done. They had an incredible year here. Proud of them. They'll learn.
It's just hard. It's just hard to respond. You know what I mean? We were up late last night. I don't care what you say, the later you go to bed, the harder it is to wake up and feel good, right?
Everybody is on high alert here. Everybody is on point. You just got to go. It's tough. But it's what it is. When you play an outdoor sport like this, we're just going to have to deal with this type of stuff. That's why response and toughness are so important in our game.
Q. We talk a lot about response. What can a response like this in particular do for you guys moving forward?
KENNY GAJEWSKI: Yeah, I think it will be good. Honestly, we're going to wake up tomorrow and have a day off, be able to rebound here.
It will be nice. The best thing that it does for this team is it's creating more moments. We're going to have more moments tomorrow. We're going to have more moments the following day. That's all I want. I just want to live one more day, right? That's how you can get through this stuff.
We're built to move on in this. I feel like that. I didn't lose any sleep over that last night. This team will celebrate this win. We'll wake up tomorrow and back to work.
Q. I don't know exactly what Lexi's pitch count ended up being. How important is that going forward, compounding that with the day off, arm rested?
KENNY GAJEWSKI: She was at 53 it looks like here.
I mean, everybody's on-call here. We're just going to go at it. We're in a one-game year now, like we were today. We got to win and advance, that's it. We'll do everything we can. Everybody will be fresh.
Lexi is really, man, good. It's going to be interesting what we work through over the next day or so because we've got three good arms that we trust. This is why John gets paid the big bucks. I'll put it on him (laughter).
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
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