By: KSU Sports Information
Phyllis Rafter Memorial Home
Tickets
Live Stats (KSU games)
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – It will be back to Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock this weekend, as the Kennesaw State Owls host 11 teams in the Fourth Annual Phyllis Rafter Memorial, beginning on Friday. The Owls will play four games this weekend during the three-day event. They begin play on Friday at Noon when against Alabama State before taking on Bradley at 2 p.m.
Coming off of a weekend in which they went 3-1 in the College of Charleston Classic, the Owls (6-1) will hope to continue a run of success which has been spurred largely by effective pitching. Coming into the weekend, the Black and Gold currently rank third among their Atlantic Sun Conference counterparts with a 1.52 earned run average, and are second in the league with 63 strikeouts.
A large reason for their stellar play in the pitcher’s circle has been the performance of sophomore Amanda Henderson, who has picked up either the win or the save in each of her four appearances. In her 15.1 innings pitched this season, she has just a 0.46 ERA, third in the A-Sun, and has struck out 31 batters while walking just one.
The Owls offense so far this season can’t be ignored, either, as they have outscored their opponents 29-11, using the power of eight home runs, three of them being supplied by junior Sharon Swanson, the 2011 A-Sun home run leader who is on top of that category through two weeks of play. Seniors Jessica Cross and Lindsay Vollmer have provided the consistent on-base presence, as they are batting .435 and .412, respectively, through seven games.
This weekend will mark the third straight season in which the Phyllis Rafter Memorial will be held at Twin Creeks, known as one of the finest softball facilities in Georgia. Three fields at a time will be employed for the first two days of the event, with four games going on at once on Sunday morning.
The Black and Gold play another pair of games on Saturday, taking on Robert Morris at 1:00 p.m. before battling Saint Louis at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets for Friday and Saturday are five dollars, with free admission being offered for Sunday, which features five non-Kennesaw State games. Admission for KSU students is free with presentation of a valid student ID.
An up-to-the-minute schedule, results, box scores and live stats will be available all weekend long at the official tournament website,
www.KSUOwls.com/PhyllisRafterMemorial .
About the Owls Opponents:
Alabama State Hornets- Friday, Noon
2012 Record: 1-6
All-Time Series: Owls Lead, 1-0 (W, 11-0- 2/19/10- Woodstock, Ga.)
Top Player (2012 Stats): Meagan Dixon- So., OF- .350, .409 OBP, 2 RBI
Bradley Braves- Friday, 2 p.m.
2012 Record: 4-6
All-Time Series: First-ever Meeting
Top Player (2012 Stats): Bailiegh Basham- So., UTL- .360, .515 OBP, 6 RBI
Robert Morris Colonials- Saturday, 1:00 p.m.
2012 Record: 3-1
All-Time Series: First-ever Meeting
Top Player (2012 Stats): Nicole Sleith- Fr.-P- 3-0, 0.41 ERA, 2 CG, 1 SHO
Saint Louis Billikens- Saturday, 6:00 p.m.
2012 Record: 7-4
All-Time Series: First-ever Meeting
Top Player (2012 Stats): Jessica Buschjost-Jr., OF-.325, 3 RBI, .372 OBP
