By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score: Robert Morris
Saint Louis
Phyllis Rafter Memorial Home
Photo Gallery- vs. Robert Morris
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls hit their first real speed bump on Saturday since beginning their 2012 campaign, dropping a pair of games during the second day of the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, 5-4 to the Robert Morris Colonials in extra-innings and 4-3 to the Saint Louis Billikens. Saturday capped off a 2-2 weekend for the Owls.
“Obviously, a 2-2 weekend is not exactly what we were looking for. We played very well on Friday, and fought and came back in both games today before falling short,” Owls head coach Scott Whitlock said. “What I’m proud of is that we tried as hard as we could to win every inning of every game this weekend, I think our pitching and defense weren’t quite as crisp as they could have been, so that’s something we’ll work on as we move forward. An 8-3 start to the season is something we can look at in a positive light and something we’ll build on.”
Kennesaw State (8-3) outscored their opponents by a tally of 20-1 in their wins over Alabama State and Bradley on Friday, and it looked from the outset like Saturday may bring more of the same, as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Robert Morris (4-3) in the second inning, Bianca Durant doubling home Sharon Swanson before swiping home on a double steal two batters later. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, freshman Natalie Rhodes hit a tapper out to first base that would drive home Kaylee Williams, giving Rhodes her first career RBI with the Owls and her new squad a three-run advantage.
That inning would prove to be the high point of the afternoon for Scott Whitlock’s squad, however, as the tournament hosts, playing in this game as the road team, gave the Colonials their entire cushion back in the bottom of the third, as Owls starting pitcher Abbey Mixon allowed an RBI double and a two-run home run before giving way to Jessica Cross.
Cross would prove to be effective at keeping the Owls in the contest, allowing one run in the fourth inning before shutting down the Colonials for the next three. The Black and Gold failed to take full advantage of having their senior stopper on the mound, however, tying the game in the top of the seventh when Rhodes led things off with a double then scored when Cross helped her own cause by singling to right field and advancing all the way to third base with one out. Cross was not able to score from there, nor was Bianca Durant in the next inning. Durant was placed on second base to start the eighth inning due to the International Tie Break Rule being in effect, and, despite getting to third with one out, as Cross did in the last inning, could not provide the go-ahead run for the Owls.
Robert Morris would take advantage of the automatic runner on second base during extra-innings, scoring the game-winner on a hard-hit ball to third base with one out that deflected off of Williams’ glove into left center field, ending the Owls three-game winning streak.
Rhodes went 3-for-4 in the second game against Saint Louis (10-5) to set the table at the top of the Owls lineup, but it would be one sloppy inning that would cost the Owls the nightcap on Saturday. With the contest scoreless in the top of the fourth, with two lead-off Billiken hits off of Amanda Henderson setting the stage for a four run frame that included an Owls error, putting the Owls in a, 4-0, hole.
Swanson would hit her fifth home run of the season with one out in the sixth, putting the Owls on the board and tying her with Lindsay Vollmer for the team lead in round-trippers.
Down to their final three outs, the Owls would make one last stand against Saint Louis, Rhodes leading things off with a single and then scoring on a sacrifice fly by Swanson, making it 4-2 with two outs. Durant would keep the squad alive with a single up the middle to score Carly Van Auken, but that would be as close the Black and Gold would come, falling by a score of 4-3.
The costly fourth inning notwithstanding, Henderson did her part, allowing just those four unearned runs in her third complete game performance of the season, striking out nine while walking none and allowing six hits in her first loss of the season.
The three hits by Rhodes against the Billikens were nearly matched by Swanson, who had two in the second game on Saturday, the only multi-hit performances by the Owls on the day.
Kennesaw State is back in action on Tuesday, when they play their first-non-tournament action of the season in a road doubleheader at Alabama-Birmingham. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
The Phyllis Rafter Memorial concludes with five games on Sunday at Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock, with four games at 10:30 a.m. and the final game slated to begin at 1:00 p.m., though the Owls will not be competing. Admission to Sunday’s game are free-of-charge. For a full schedule, visit the event’s official page,
www.KSUOwls.com/PhyllisRafterMemorial .
