DANVILLE, Va. — The Averett University softball team stayed unbeaten and increased its winning streak to 15 after defeating Roanoke College 6-3 and 4-0 on Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field. The 6-3 victory in the first game gave fifth-year head coach Bren Taylor her 100th career win as Averett's coach.
 
In the opener, Averett (18-0-1) took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning, including two runs that resulted from two consecutive bases-loaded walks dealt by Roanoke pitcher Kelly Higbie. Roanoke (3-7) tallied one run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but it wasn't enough to catch up to the Cougars, who increased their score to 5-0 an RBI groundout that scored freshman Laura Young.
 
With Roanoke keeping Averett's offense in check, the Cougars got out of several jams with solid defense. In the top of the third with one out, Averett notched a double play when Katie Smith flied out to center field and sophomore Jessica Long fired the ball to junior first baseman Rhyan Scearce to get the runner, who couldn't get back to first in time.
 
Senior pitcher Amy Hamlett came in to relieve junior right-hander Mary Beth Smith in the third inning to claim the win and improve her record to 3-0 while Jessica Griffin finished off the final 2.2 innings to earn her first save.
 
Similar to the first game, Averett scored most of its runs in the first inning of Game 2. Junior Taylor Dix doubled to center field to bring in Long and move senior Emily Dunford to second. Two batters later, sophomore Meredith Rudisill singled through the left side to send Dunford and Dix home and stretch the lead to 3-0.
 
Averett's Smith started in the circle again, and she was able to go the distance with 10 strikeouts to push her record to 10-0 in the pitcher's circle. The Cougars scored one more run on a fielding error while shutting out the Maroons' offense.

Taylor became the second coach in program history to reach the 100-win milestone, joining longtime coach Kathy Bocock, who holds the record with 237 career wins.
 
The Cougars, who received a vote in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll, travel to the University of Virginia at Wise on Wednesday to play in a non-conference doubleheader at 2 p.m. and return home on March 21 to play Meredith College.