Golden Eagles top Kennesaw twice, claim third place at Owls' tourney
KENNESAW, Ga. – Tennessee Tech claimed third place
Saturday in the first Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament, hosted by
Kennesaw State University, beating the host Owls twice as three
Golden Eagles earned all-tournament honors.
Sophomores Callie Schmidt and Katie Betry and freshman Holly
Thomas earned their places on the 13-player all-tourney squad after
Tech downed KSU 7-6 in eight innings and 5-2 in the third place
contest. Tech (5-4) heads to the west coast this week to play in
the Palm Spring Classic, where it will meet Texas, Oregon State,
Loyola Marymount, UC Santa Barbara and Brigham Young.
Thomas got the win in the circle with a complete game in the
second contest, and also went 2-for-5 at the play with three RBI.
She scored twice and walked twice.
Betry had a big day at the plate, going 5-for-8 and scoring twice.
Schmidt was 3-for-4, with a double and home run, and scored
twice.
Tech took a 6-3 lead in the seventh, but needed an extra inning to
claim the first win of the day after the Owls also scored three
times in the seventh.
Tech got a single run in the second as Betry singled, moved to
second on a sacrifice by Schmidt, and an RBI single by Maddie
Schmissrauter. Kennesaw pitcher Jessica Cross got out of trouble,
stranding runners at second and third with a fly ball to end the
threat.
The Owls took a 3-1 lead with three runs in the third, all coming
on a three-run home run by Cross, who finished the game with six
RBI.
Tech got one run back in the fourth as Thomas singled, moved to
second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI ground out by
Schmissrauter. The Golden Eagles tied things at 3-3 in the fifth
when Cassidy Skeen walked and went to second on a wild pitch, and
came around to score an unearned run on an error in the
outfield.
The Golden Eagles appeared to run away with the game with a
three-run seventh for a 6-3 lead. Lacie Coquerille and Whitney
Cummings each poked one-out singles and Thomas blasted a home run
to left field. Tech loaded the bases with singles by Betry and
Schmidt and a walk to Schmissrauter, but Cross once again bailed
her team out of trouble.
With two outs and two on, Cross ripped her second three-run home
run to tie the contest.
Tech’s game-winning run in the eight was scored by freshman
Jordan Leff, who was placed on second to open the frame. She was
moved to third on Skeen’s sacrifice and scored on a single to
right by Coquerille. Tech’s bid to add another run was
snuffed when Coquerille was thrown out at home plate to end the
inning.
Schmissrauter faced a threat in the bottom of the eight as
Kennesaw had two runners aboard with one out. The sophomore pitcher
struck out the last two batters for the victory.
Schmissrauter (3-2) worked all eight innings, allowing eight hits
and four walks while striking out 13 Owl batters. Cross (2-2) took
the loss, despite her heroics at the plate. She worked eight
innings, walked four and struck out three.
Thomas (2-2) was the winning pitcher in the second game for Tech,
working seven innings and allowing five hits, two earned runs and
three walks with three strikeouts.
Each team scored once in the first inning, KSU without a hit as
Thomas got off to a shaky start. She walked the second hitter in
the Owl lineup then hit the next three batters to force home the
opening run. Thomas threw Cross out at the plate to end the
inning.
Tech’s first run came on a double by Coquerille, a groundout
and a wild pitch to tie the game.
Thomas settled down and tossed three scoreless innings and the
Golden Eagles provided support with two runs in the fourth for a
3-1 lead. With Betry aboard and out, Schmidt pulled a home run down
the left field line.
KSU made it 3-2 with a double and single to lead off the fifth,
but Thomas got out of the inning with a strikeout and double
play.
Tech added single runs in the fifth and sixth to make it 5-2.
Betry poked a two-out single to drive home Coquerille in the fifth,
and Schmidt doubled and scored on a single by Skeen in the
sixth.
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
