DANVILLE, Va. — Senior Amy Hamlett's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Averett University softball an 8-7 victory against N.C. Wesleyan College in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader at Cougar Field. The victory gave the Cougars a sweep of the series after winning the first game 6-3.
 
With the game tied at 7-7 in the second game, Averett (12-0-1, 4-0 USA South) per extra inning rules started the bottom of the eighth with a runner on second base. Junior Mary Beth Smith moved over to third thanks to sophomore Laura Young's sacrifice bunt, putting the winning run in prime position to score. Two batters later, Hamlett's hard hit fly ball to left-center field brought Smith home, giving the Cougars the walk-off win to keep them undefeated on the season.
 
N.C. Wesleyan (2-4, 0-2 USA South) jumped out on top of the Cougars early in the rubber match game, posting six-runs in the top of the second to build a 6-0 advantage. After a sacrifice bunt put the Battling Bishops on the board, a double, a batter getting hit by a pitch, and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for N.C. Wesleyan. Kaitlyn Checkan's double to left-center brought two runs home on the play, giving the Battling Bishops a 3-0 lead. N.C. Wesleyan added three more runs in the inning thanks to an Averett throwing error that brought home two-runs and a RBI single to right-center.
 
The Cougars answered with a run in the third thanks to Smith's RBI single down the right field line. However, it was an explosive three-run fourth frame that got Averett back in the game. Senior Emily Dunford's double down the left field line scored Hamlett on the play and Dunford came home thanks to a wild throw from the Battling Bishops' right fielder, cutting N.C. Wesleyan's lead in half at 6-3. Averett tacked on another run thanks to another throwing error by the Battling Bishops' Logan Lowery.
 
Trailing 7-4 going into the sixth, the Cougars used a single and a double to put runners on second and third. Junior Taylor Dix's single through the right side brought two-runs home on the play, cutting Averett's deficit to one. The Cougars tied the game in the seventh thanks to another throwing error by N.C. Wesleyan.
 
Smith (7-0) earned the win, pitching over three innings, while allowing only one hit and not giving up a run.
 
Offensively, Dunford led Averett with three hits and an RBI.  Sophomore's Jessica Long and Samantha Hall also recorded two hits for the Cougars in the victory. Hamlett had two hits on the day in addition to her game-winning sacrifice fly.
 
Game 1 saw the Cougars break open a close contest with four-runs in the fourth. After a walk and a pair of fielder's choices put runners on first and second, Long brought home three-runs with her blast to left-center field. Smith's RBI single to center brought Hall home several batters later, putting the Cougars in front 6-0.
 
N.C. Wesleyan, however, was not willing to go down without a fight. The Battling Bishops tacked on three-runs in the sixth inning to cut the Cougars' lead in half. A bases loaded walk gave N.C. Wesleyan its first run of the game and a pair of RBI sacrifice fly balls put the Battling Bishops right back in it. Smith, though, came into the game in relief, and got N.C. Wesleyan's Carla Matthews to fly out to left-center to end the threat.
 
Smith was solid in the pitching circle for Averett, scattering only four hits while striking out six and not giving up a run.
 
Long and Smith paced the Cougars with three hits apiece, while Long drove in three-runs and Smith brought home two.
 
Averett returns to the field on Wednesday as it hosts Roanoke College in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. at Cougar Field.