Everything Patrick Murphy, Alabama Softball Said after Beating UCLA in WCWS

OKLAHOMA CITY–– No. 1 Alabama beat No. 8 UCLA 6-3 on Thursday night at Devon Park in the opening round of the Women's College World Series.

Crimson Tide head coach Patrick Murphy plus student athletes Brooke Wells, Alexis Pupillo and Jocelyn Briski spoke to the media after the game.

Here's everything they had to say:

Full transcript

Transcript courtesy of ASAP Sports

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Alabama. We'll start with an opening statement from Coach Murphy.

PATRICK MURPHY: I thought Briski did an incredible job of pitching through a little adversity, then stopping it. They scored one run with two hits. We knew they were going to get some hits, okay? They have over 200 home runs now. That's like four a game.

She limited the damage. She did not walk anybody. Then the other key stat for me was no errors on our defense. I thought it was a really well-played game, gritty by our offense. I felt like we were just missing a couple early in the game, then Brooke connected and so did Pupillo.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions.

Q. Alexis, Brooke, to kind of come through in this big moment, could you talk about why that was such a big piece of why you decided to come to Alabama?

BROOKE WELLS: I think Murph does a great job of creating such a great team culture that we have trust in people. So I know after I struck out, I had no doubt that Alexis was going to pick me up. I think we had that throughout the whole lineup.

ALEXIS PUPILLO: I was just really excited to be a part of the standard. We're chasing excellence, a never-ending pursuit of greatness. I was just really excited to be a part of that.

Q. Brooke, I know super regionals didn't go exactly how you planned. We heard you got a card from Coach, team rallying around you. How big was that moment for you, what all did this team do to help you get to that point?

BROOKE WELLS: It was great to do it for these girls. These girls are so great. They had my back all last weekend, you know, how he said. It wasn't the best weekend for me, but they never lost trust in me, they never lost faith in me. Murph gave me a card, the girls picked me up all weekend. I walked in here feeling as confident as ever. Didn't really cross my mind anything that happened last weekend.

Q. Jocelyn, last year you faced UCLA, they started to rally. Was any of that flashing through your head today? How were you able to stop the adversity?

JOCELYN BRISKI: Yeah, I've been saying it all week, we knew they were going to score runs. They're a great offense, great team. It was just minimizing it as much as possible and just minimizing it to one inning. I'll take that any day, especially with our offense. I knew we were going to score runs. They did. So really proud of our team.

Q. Brooke, talk about the fit in the offense, Alexis hits the home run, you come back. You all feed off each other?

BROOKE WELLS: Yes, I would totally say we fed off each other all year. Like I was saying, if one person doesn't get the job, the next person well. We have that throughout the whole lineup. We have so much diversity throughout the whole lineup. I think that's what makes our offense so successful also.

Q. Alexis, this is a home run in three straight postseason games. What has it meant for you stepping up on the big stage that makes you able to do this in these big moments?

ALEXIS PUPILLO: This is the moment that I've been waiting for since I was like eight years old. I walked through the gates today, I kind of started tearing up for a second because it just felt surreal. I just remember watching Montana Fouts pitch in the World Series when she threw the perfect game. That moment of me when I was eight years old watching it on the TV, man, I really want to do that.

So just being here and getting to experience all the amazing things we have in the last, like, three days has been like a kid in the candy store. I felt so blessed to be here.

Q. Brooke, how is the lip?

BROOKE WELLS: It's good. I got a stitch in it. It will be all good (smiling).

Q. How difficult is it to get a stitch in the middle of a game?

BROOKE WELLS: Honestly, I think with all the adrenaline going through me, it didn't feel much. We have the best doctors, so... I'm all good (laughter).

Q. You touched on the card, some of the things. How important was it for you to feel the team supporting you?

BROOKE WELLS: Yeah, no, it definitely helped me just kind of keep my shoulders up. It's hard having such a rough weekend as I did last weekend.

Never really felt it when I got there on Monday. Knowing that the coaches have my back, the girls have my back, it was easy to come into today and be like it's a whole new start. It's the World Series. This is what you dream of as you're a little kid. It's just a whole new day. Kind of just enjoying that.

Q. Alexis, we heard that you journal, you're a dedicated student coming to the game. Can you talk a little bit about your studying habits and how you translate that to make you have the production that you have.

ALEXIS PUPILLO: I think the game is 90% mental and about 10% physical. That's where I really wanted to hone in this year, was being a student of the game, not just performing the physical aspects.

So for me it's more sticking to my routine, sticking to my good habits, just continuing to work hard in every moment.

Q. Alexis, Jocelyn, I know prayer is a big part of your pregame ritual. Can you tell me what God has taught you this season about yourself.

JOCELYN BRISKI: Yeah, before every inning, I pray. It just keeps me grounded. I feel like it's really been able to help me understand I'm playing for something more than my success on the field, anything I do on the field.

To be surrounded by a team that loves God so much has seriously transformed my life. All these girls pour into Christ so much, so it really is just a joy.

ALEXIS PUPILLO: I think when you're around people like Marlie Giles and Audrey Vandagriff and Larissa Preuitt who are so grounded in your faith, it really encourages you to also be grounded in your faith. I think it really reminds me that I'm saved by my faith and not by my performance, that this game does not define me, I'm a child of God.

I think it also helps me to not let the moment get too big, but also gratitude helps you not make the moment too big. When you're just so grateful that God has blessed us to be here, then you don't let jealousy, negativity, stuff like that creep into your mind and create self-doubt.

I think that's where my faith helps me.

BROOKE WELLS: I would definitely say for me it's helped me a lot kind of moving forward, not focusing on the last at-bat. I learned this a lot from Audrey. Kind of moving forward, I know I tended to kind of not, like, dwell on what happened before, but it was always in the back of my mind.

Kind of just focusing on just trusting this process, trusting the play. He has everything in store for us. We just have to continue to trust that, just do what we do.

ALEXIS PUPILLO: I think also we have a responsibility as disciples of God that we are the role models for the up-and-coming generations. God has given us this opportunity to not only glorify His name, but to be that example and show them what God's light is through us.

THE MODERATOR: That will wrap things up for players. We'll continue with questions for Coach Murphy.

Q. (Question about Briski.)

PATRICK MURPHY: I was really, really hoping in the sixth inning we went 1-2-3 because I didn't want anybody else to get up in the seventh. That kind of worked out for us.

She's done it all year, seriously. I'm glad that you guys got to see it because it's truly been like that all year. No walks. Pretty much pound the zone, throw strikes. Here it is.

She just has been so consistent game in and game out throughout the last four months. So I'm glad you got to see it tonight.

Q. I believe it was Jocelyn that said Alexis can possibly predict pitches. Can you talk about how difficult that is, about how you've observed her study throughout the season?

PATRICK MURPHY: She has this little notebook that she keeps with her in the dugout. Every at-bat, I think she's been the DP mostly the entire year, so she does go out and play catch. But when she comes back in, she doesn't go on defense. She's got a little more time to write and journal.

It's usually, like, what pitch, what was the result, what was the pattern, then she goes from there. What was she, four at-bats up today? Yeah, she was one for four with a home run. She got to see her four times. 15 pitches, 18 pitches.

But it is difficult because if you guess wrong, then you kind of look a little silly. She goes in with a plan, and she sticks with the plan until she gets two strikes. Good hitters, Major League Baseball, college softball, doesn't matter, they usually do that.

Q. Jena Young, three hits in the lead-off spot, how have you seen her take advantage of being moved into that spot, and how valuable was that today?

PATRICK MURPHY: Unbelievable today. Just terrific. She's been like that in the post-season. We needed a little shot in the arm from her.

I was hoping one of the two behind her would do something big, and they both did. We needed both of them. Jena has been terrific. Lead-off, works the count, battles with two strikes, all those things. The last hit was the duck fart to left field. It got in there. It was a base hit. Wells does the rest with the home run.

She's been very valuable.

Q. I know you're coaching, but this place was packed. It got loud. Are you able to feel that? Felt like your team felt that rush there from that crowd.

PATRICK MURPHY: My Garmin goes off and says Murph dog, take a breath. That doesn't happen very often during the season.

The adrenaline here is unbelievable. The crowd was great. We watched a little bit of the games in the morning. They were terrific at 11 a.m. on a Thursday morning. Kudos to everybody that came out especially. Since the host school is not in it this year, it means a lot to our athletes, players, school to have that many people watch a game between Alabama and UCLA.

Q. Brooke did a little bit of a two-way last year, but when she came to you guys, she focused on hitting. How does that speak to the kid she puts her faith in you guys to help her become the hitter that she has this season?

PATRICK MURPHY: We did see that she pitched some innings and had some starts. She pitched in summer ball some. When she got here, we had five already. Our need was more on offense. We did have a conversation. She was okay with it. Obviously that was fine with us.

If she did want to, Lance probably gladly would have worked with her in the bullpen. Her numbers are just unbelievable. I think it was the 24th home run tonight. I think I saw that somewhere. Pupillo had 20.

We did not think it was going to be that much, though, to be honest with you. We knew she was a good hitter, had a great swing. But her production has been just unreal for us.

Q. What kind of motivated you to give her the card?

PATRICK MURPHY: Yeah, she was 0-8. We have the day off on Sunday, then Monday morning we had early practice 'cause it was getting hot in Alabama, so we went early. Just put her in her locker.

When I saw her, I said the sun came up, we're playing again, and everything is right in the world. We're going to the World Series.

It's over and done with. One of our sayings is the best is yet to come. Pupillo and everybody else behind you picked you up, and we're still playing. It does not matter.

One of the things you have to have in the post-season is the quickest short-term memory you ever had in your life. Briski had it tonight. If she would have dwelled on those two home runs, they probably would have been the other score, probably would have won.

Short-term memory, what's done is done. Both of them have done it. Brooke obviously did it today.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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