DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University baseball lost to Ferrum College 9-7 on Friday afternoon in the first contest of a three-game conference series at Owen-Fulton Field.
 
Averett (6-4, 4-3 USA South) jumped on top of Ferrum (8-5, 7-3 USA South) early, tacking on four runs in the first inning. With runners on second and third, senior J.T. Crowder gave Averett a 1-0 lead when he scored on a wild pitch. Averett tacked another run thanks to a fielding error by the Panthers' shortstop that scored Davis on the play. The Cougars added two more runs before Ferrum's pitching could get them under control thanks to senior Timothy Coston's RBI double to left-center and junior Drew Evans' sacrifice fly to right field.
 
However, the Panthers answered back with three runs in the top of the second inning. With two runners on, Ferrum got on the scoreboard with an RBI single. The Panthers added another run with the help of an Averett fielding error and got within 4-3 when Adam Duncan came home from third on a run-down between first and second base on a delayed steal.
 
Averett, though, grabbed another run in the bottom of the second when Davis' fielder's choice to shortstop scored senior Chatham Currie, pushing Averett's lead to 5-3. The Cougars gained an insurance run in the bottom of the third when Coston doubled down the left field line, scoring senior Nic Futrell from second to take a three-run lead.
 
The Panthers used a four-run fourth inning to take the lead for good. After a pair of RBI singles and a fielder's choice to the pitcher tied the game at 6-6, Ferrum's Matt Ward knocked an RBI single to center field to give the Panthers the lead. Ferrum added a run in both the fifth and sixth to build its advantage to 9-6.
 
Despite trailing by three going into the last inning, Averett tried to stage a late rally. Currie and freshman Kyle Vidano were both hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Davis followed with a one-out walk to load the bases. Averett closed the deficit to 9-7 on senior Kevin Alvarez's grounder to shortstop, but the Panthers made a close play at third base for the second out. Ferrum closer Alex Brown induced a ground ball to get the final out and earn his fourth save of the season.
 
Offensively, Coston paced the Cougars going 2-for-3, including his two RBI doubles. Futrell, Alvarez, Evans, and Davis also recorded RBIs.
 
Junior right-hander Kyle Walsh was impressive in relief duties, not surrendering a hit in 2.1 innings of work.
 
The Cougars return to the field on Saturday at 1 p.m. as they host Ferrum in the second game of the series at Owen-Fulton Field.