By: by Scott Lipsky
Box Score
Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament Page
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The long ball was in vogue on Sunday, as three Owls hit home runs on their way to a, 12-2, victory over the Tennessee State Tigers in their 2011 Phyllis Rafter Memorial finale at Twin Creeks Softball Complex.
“We were fortunate to get out of the gate early, and I thought we played really well today,” Owls head coach Scott Whitlock said. “Several of our players really swung the bats well today, and Abbey Meixel did a great job in the pitcher’s circle once again.”
The Owls (10-4) pounced on the Tigers (6-10) early, as five of the first six Kennesaw State players to come to the plate reached base. They scored their first two runs on back-to-back RBI singles up the middle by Bianca Durant and Lindsay Vollmer. Up, 2-0, they quickly threw what may be looked at as the knockout punch, when junior Brittany Moore, who had two home runs during her first two seasons with the Owls, hit her second in as many days, bashing an 0-2 pitch over the left centerfield fence to make it 6-0.
Whitlock’s squad would add three more in the top of the second inning, when Sharon Swanson hit her conference-leading sixth home run of the season, her second of four hits on the day. Moore would then continue her hot hitting two batters later, following a Durant single and walk by Vollmer, singling to center field to score Durant and make it 9-0.
Up 10-0 in the fifth inning, Durant would hit her first career round-tripper, clearing the right center field fence with a runner on to make it 12-0.
Meixel had another stellar performance in the pitcher’s circle. A day after she pitched four shutout innings in the Owls win over Bowling Green, the 2010 All A-Sun Freshman selection would retire the first nine batters she faced, six of them by way of strike out. She would shut out the Tigers over the first four innings before allowing two runs in fifth, on her way to winning her second game in as many appearances. She struck out eight batters while allowing two runs on three hits without issuing a walk.
Swanson, who went 4-for-4 on Sunday was joined by Durant (3-for-4) and Moore (2-for-2) in the muli-hit department for the Owls. Moore led the way with five RBIs, with Durant (3) and Swanson (2) also driving in multiple runners.
Swanson’s performance gave her hits in 13 of the Owls first 14 games this season, and RBIs in 10 games. For the four-game event, she went 9-for-12 at the plate (.750) and had two home runs and four RBIs.
Sunday wrapped up the Owls third year as hosts of the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, which made up 19 games involving eight teams over three days. The Owls went 3-1 in the event, with coach Whitlock glad about his team’s success, but also about the way the tournament turned out as a whole.
“It was great to see all of the fans come out and support us and this event this weekend. The weather was great, and the games stayed on schedule,” Whitlock said “We’re really thankful to be able to annually attract the strong softball programs that we do to our event. Overall, this year was a huge success.”
The Black and Gold return to Bailey Park on Tuesday, when they host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at 5 p.m.
2011 Phyllis Rafter Memorial- Final Standings
Purdue: 4-0
Ball State: 4-1
Kennesaw State: 3-1
Mercer: 3-2
Georgia State: 2-3
Bowling Green: 1-4
Tennessee State: 1-4
Mississippi State: 1-4
