DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University softball dominated Bluefield College 19-3 in six innings and 15-0 in five innings to open its season with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon at Cougar Field.
 
In the first game, Averett (2-0) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning when freshman Mackenzie Barrett knocked an RBI single through the left side. A throwing error by Bluefield (0-2) allowed two more runs to score on the play. Despite the mishap, the Rams bounced back to score two runs in the third inning when Tianna Macies singled through the right side, cutting the Cougars' lead to 3-2.
 
The Cougars put up six runs in the fourth inning to break the game open thanks to junior Rhyan Scearce's RBI double and freshman Laura Young's RBI single. Junior Taylor Dix added three more runs when she tripled down the left field line as Averett took a commanding 10-3 advantage.
 
The Cougars tacked on one more run in the fifth and nine more runs in the sixth to end the game early.
 
Senior Amy Hamlett (1-0) pitched four innings for Averett to earn the win and junior Jessica Griffin closed it out with two scoreless innings.
 
Dix finished with a team-high five RBIs. Sophomore Meredith Rudisill and junior Jessye Crews each added two RBIs as Averett pounded out 19 runs on 13 hits in the season-opening win over the Rams.
 
In the second game, Averett jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to Jessica Long's three-run homer in the second inning. The Cougars added 10 runs in the third frame thanks to Young's three-run triple and a two-RBI single from by junior Mary Beth Smith.
 
Long and Young each finished with three RBIs for the Cougars. Smith and Griffin added two runs apiece.
 
Smith (1-0) went four innings in the pitching circle while only allowing two hits for the victory. Griffin closed out the second game with a scoreless fifth.
 
Smith and sophomore Samantha Hall each had a pair of hits in the Game 2 victory. Hall totaled four hits with five runs scored and three stolen bases over the doubleheader.
 
Averett hosts Salem College on Feb. 15 at Cougar Field.