Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DANVILLE, Va. — Averett knocked off N.C. Wesleyan College 8-4 before dropping the finale 7-5 on Saturday at Cougar Field as the Cougars held their Strike Out Strokes event.

Prior to the doubleheader, the Cougars promoted stroke awareness as three-time stroke survivor Jeff Rudder, father of senior infielder Jenna Rudder and 1978 Averett alumnus, threw out the first pitch.

In the opener, Averett went ahead 1-0 on freshman Taylor Dix's RBI single in the first inning. N.C. Wesleyan went in front 2-1 moments later in the top of the second. Yet, the Cougars responded in the third to go back in front 3-2 when sophomroe Kayla Renn drove in a run and senior Brooke Hensley later scored.

Dix's RBI single and Hensley's two-run single in the fourth pushed Averett's lead to 6-2. N.C. Wesleyan got two of the runs back, but the Cougars countered with a pair of runs of their own late.

Dix and Hensley led the Averett offense in Game 1 with three hits each. Freshman right-hander April Costa (7-9) earned the win in a complete-game effort.

Averett couldn't hold off the Battling Bishops in Game 2. The Cougars led 5-2 after five innings before allowing two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh.

The Cougars fell behind 2-0 on a two-run homer in the second inning, but battled back to take a 3-2 lead on a two-run double by Dix and an RBI single by Hensley in the third inning. Averett added two more runs in the fifth, including one on sophomore Emily Dunford's RBI triple.

Averett got two hits apiece from Rudder, freshman Jessye Crews and Dix.

Averett returns to action on Wednesday when the Cougars host non-conference foe Lynchburg College for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.