COLUMBUS Miss. – Mississippi University for Women handed Franklin College its first loss of 2024 - 2-1 in eight innings - and then toppled regional-rival Millsaps College, 7-2, for the second time in as many days, to wrap up the MUW Invitational at Don Usher Field. The Owls came out of their own tourney sporting an impressive 5-1 record, the second-best start in the program's modern era (the 2019 squad opened 6-0).
 
Entering its matchup versus The W, Franklin sported a 3-0 record and was out-scoring foes by a 24-6 clip. MUW pitcher Avery Byerley made certain that was not the case against the Owls, throwing all eight innings of the extra-frame contest. Byerley scattered six hits and permitted just one first-inning run to FC. She had three strikeouts and a walk to her credit.
 
And while Byerley trapped the Grizzlies from the circle, her battery mate Emilee Slade led The W's offensive attack. Slade was 3-for-3 in the game, including a sixth-inning triple that put her in position to score the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly by Riley Phillips.
 
Franklin hurler Lauren Duncan matched Byerley through regulation, allowing MUW six hits and the one run.
 
In the eighth, some sparkling defense combined with Byerley's efforts to not allow the placed runner in the tie=breaker to score from second. That left the door open for The W in their half of the frame, still tied at 1-1.
 
With Taylor Palmer placed at second base, pinch hitter Kaitlyn Bearley laid down a perfect sacrifice to advance Palmer to third with just one out. That brought up senior all-American shortstop Jessica Deming. Deming laced a single to right-centerfield to give The W the walk-off win, 2-1.
 
In the tourney finale versus Millsaps, it was Slade again pacing the offensive attack by going 3-for-4 – including a pair of doubles – to pace the Owls' seven-hit attack. Slade also drove in three runs batted in and scored a pair of runs, as well.
 
MUW starter Jade Rushing allowed six hits and two runs in the top of the fourth before being lifted with her team clinging to a 3-2 lead. Head Coach Rebecca Oldham summoned freshman Baylee McWilliams, who registered two strikeouts and a grounder to end the Majors' threat.
 
The W added a single run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.

For the six games of the MUW Invitational, The W emerged with some impressive numbers – individually and as a team – in its inaugural season playing 'Becca Ball. The Owls are sporting a healthy .314 team batting average, a .978 fielding average in 183 total chances, and a staff earned run average of 1.37.
 
Individually, three of The W's pitchers have ERAs (nothing to do with Taylor Swift) of 1.00 or lower. McWilliams heads the list at 0.78 for 18.0 innings pitched, followed by Byerley at 0.88 (8.0 IP), and Bailey McClellan at 1.00 (7.0 IP).
 
At the plate, Slade batted .500 (10-for-20), starting all six games. Slade amassed three doubles and a triple, scoring eight runs, drove in five, and went 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Defensively, she threw out two runners attempting to steal in six tries and was errorless in 26 fielding chances.
 
Senior all-American outfielder Phillips hit .421 (8-19) and drove in seven. Phillips a double, two triples, and a home run, while scoring seven runs, as well.
 
All-Americans Deming and Alysa Newman each batted identical .353 averages (6-17). Deming drove in five, scored five, and was 6-of-6 in steals.
 
Newman had four RBI and three runs scored.