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KENNESAW, Ga. – Power and pitching propelled Kennesaw State to a sweep of its two games during the opening day of the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament at Bailey Park on Friday (Feb. 19).
 
The Owls (5-0) hit three home runs against Rutgers in a 4-2 victory in game one and concluded the day with a 5-1 win over Bowling Green that was highlighted by a two-run home run from senior first baseman Megan Veringa.
 
"I am very, very pleased and proud of the kids," head coach Tory Acheson said. "They are playing hard and as we talked to them this evening, anytime I can come out here and see us play good softball, it's a good day. And right now we are playing good softball."
 
Veringa's home run, combined with long balls from Rachel Dennis, Missy Perkowski and Courtney Sutter in the opener, provided the perfect complement to the continued solid pitching of Logan Viers, Morgan Sikes and Monica Vickery.
 
"I think we have a team that has some power. Offensively, I think we have a really good combination of speed and power," Acheson said. "Right now a couple of our speed players are struggling a little bit to get on base and I think that is why it was nice to see the long balls tonight. The efficiency of that, four runs on four hits, and five runs on five hits is pretty exceptional."
 
The trio of Viers, Sikes and Vickery logged 14 innings, scattered 11 hits, allowed three runs and struck out 12 while helping Kennesaw State remain unbeaten on the season and continue its best start since beginning the 2013 season 7-0.
 
"The pitching staff has done an amazing job of accepting this system that we are using and they all accept their opportunities when they are called on, and they have stepped up over, over and over again," Acheson said. "It's very gratifying to see and obviously that is a key part of our success so far. We've played good defense behind them, but they're giving us a chance to win every game."
 
Dennis ignited the Owls against Rutgers (0-7) with her first home run of the season when she went deep over the left field fence in the second inning. Perkowski followed with a solo blast in the third, and Sutter connected for her second home run of the season with a leadoff blast to center field in the sixth.
 
That proved plenty for the pitching as Viers (2-0) worked a season-high four innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. Sikes followed with three innings of work, surrendering three hits, two runs and struck out five for her first save of the year.
 
In the nightcap against Bowling Green (2-4), Perkowski led the offense with two hits and two runs scored, and Veringa supplied the power with a two-run shot in the third inning.
 
Meanwhile, Viers pitched two scoreless inning and Sikes (2-0) worked 3 1/3 innings scoreless innings to close out the game.
 
NOTES
* The Owls are 5-0 for the first time since 2013 when they began the season 7-0 en route to a 34-20 season.
* Kennesaw State has hit at least one home run in four of its five games this season
* Courtney Sutter has hit safely in all five games this year and is batting .375 (6-for-16) on the season.
* Senior Megan Veringa's home run was the 16th of her career and moved her within three of moving in the Owls' all-time top 10 list.
* Junior Courtney Sutter is also moving up the program's all-time home run list, and after hitting a home run against Rutgers, the Owls' catcher increased her career total to 15 and is moving closer to the top 10.

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