LAGRANGE, Ga. — Averett and LaGrange College split their USA South Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Averett crushed LaGrange 14-7 in the first game, but the Panthers defeated the Cougars 6-4 in the nightcap.
 
Trailing 3-2 entering the fifth inning of Game 1, Averett (10-6, 7-4 USA South) scored five runs to take the lead. The Cougars benefited from a pair of singles and a fielding error by LaGrange's pitcher to load the bases with no outs. Averett's next at bat saw senior Kevin Alvarez bringing in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game. Moments later, senior Nic Futrell followed with a two-run double to right-center that gave the Cougars a two-run edge. After a pitching change by the Panthers, senior Timothy Coston singled up the middle to put another run on the board for Averett. The Cougars tacked on another run thanks to an RBI fielder's choice from freshman Kyle Vidano.
 
A seven-run explosion in the seventh gave Averett a sizeable cushion. With runners on second and third, freshman B.J. Purnell cleared the bases with a two-run double to center. One batter later, Vidano brought Purnell home with a triple to right, putting the Cougars up by seven. Senior J.T. Crowder followed that with a double to left, which scored Vidano and Averett added three more runs to go ahead 14-4.
 
Battling back, LaGrange (6-11, 6-8 USA South) used a three-run eighth to cut its deficit down to seven. However, that's as close as the Panthers would get as sophomore relief pitcher Vicente Gomez induced a double play to end the frame and LaGrange's threat.
 
The Cougars were impressive on offense, banging out a season-high 17 hits in the victory. Coston was perfect at the plate, batting 5-for-5, while recording two RBI's. Futrell paced Averett with 3 RBI's. Junior Drew Evans also swung the bat well, recording three hits and driving in a run on the afternoon and Vidano and Purnell each knocked in two runs.
 
Game 2 saw Averett jump on top of LaGrange in the top of the first. A pair of Panthers' fielding errors put runners on first and second for Averett. Alvarez's RBI single to short put the Cougars on the board. Futrell's RBI groundout to third rounded out the scoring for Averett, while giving it a 2-0 advantage. Despite taking the early lead, the Cougars surrendered three runs in the bottom of the first to allow LaGrange to go ahead by one.
 
Neither team scored again until the top of the fourth when Averett tied the game on a misplayed ball by Sauls. The Cougars went back on top thanks to senior Chatham Currie's RBI single that scored Evans on the play. LaGrange, though, would put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth to once again tie the game.
 
The scored stayed tied until until the bottom of the sixth when a sacrifice bunt by the Panthers' Jim Reed put them ahead 5-4. The Cougars had a chance to push ahead in the seventh when a pair of walks and a throwing error put runners in scoring position, but Averett wasn't able to capitalize on the opportunity.
 
Offensively, Averett was led by Currie who knocked out two hits and drove in a run. Futrell and Alvarez each added an RBI in the nightcap.
 
Junior right-hander T.J. Viracola (1-2) struck out four in six innings of work. Junior relief pitcher Brandon Goff was solid in relief, not allowing a hit and striking out four in two innings on the hill.
 
Averett concludes the three-game conference series with LaGrange on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m.