Feb. 14, 2009
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Owls lost their final game of the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament on Saturday afternoon as they fell to Tennessee Tech, 5-2, in the Third Place game at Bailey Park.
Kennesaw State (3-5) lost their fourth consecutive game as they were defeated twice by the Golden Eagles. Tennessee Tech (5-4) finished third in the tournament with a 2-2 mark.
The Owls got on the board in the top of the first inning as they took advantage of the wildness of TTU starter Holly Thomas. The right-hander walked Hollie Huffman with one out and then hit Jessica Cross, Jenna Closner and Catherine Tarvin in consecutive at-bats for a 1-0 KSU lead.
The lead was short-lived as Tennessee Tech scored in the bottom of the inning when Lacie Coquerille doubled and later scored on a wild pitch. The Golden Eagles would add a pair of runs in the fourth inning when Callie Schmidt hit a two-run homer off reliever April Harper.
Kennesaw State would scratch its way back with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Klair Wells, who was named to the all-tournament team, led off with a double to left field and scored on a single through the right side by Huffman, making the score 3-2.
Tennessee Tech would tack on solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings on RBI singles by Katie Betry and Cassidy Skeen to finish the scoring. Thomas picked up the complete game win for TTU while Harper suffered the loss for Kennesaw State, allowing four runs on five hits in four and one-third innings of relief.
Wells and Jessica Cross were named to the all-tournament team. Lauren Zembruski of SIU-Edwardsville was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, hitting two home runs and driving in eight runs over the weekend.
Owls Honor Phyllis Rafter
The Owls honored the life of Phyllis Rafter, for whom the tournament is named, in a pre-game ceremony before their first game with Tennessee Tech. The Rafter family was on hand as a moment of silence was preceded by a reading of letter, penned by Kennesaw State head coach Scott Whitlock in the memory of his friend, longtime supporter and wife of the Owls' Director of Softball Operations, Marty Rafter. Phyllis Rafter passed away last year after succumbing to cancer.
1st Annual Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament
Tournament Champions
SIU-Edwardsville
Tournament MVP
Lauren Zembruski, SIU-Edwardsville
All Tournament Team
Katie Betry, Tennessee Tech
Bri Birl, Wright State
Jessica Cross, Kennesaw State
Kaitlin Colosimo, SIU-Edwardsville
Louis Haney, Wright State
Ashleigh Jackson, Wright State
Courtney Mall, SIU-Edwardsville
Chaleen Rumpf, SIU-Edwardsville
Callie Schmidt, Tennessee Tech
Justine Shilt, Wright State
Erika Taylor, SIU-Edwardsville
Holly Thomas, Tennessee Tech
Klair Wells, Kennesaw State
