DANVILLE, Va. — No. 16 Averett University swept Piedmont College 10-7 and 5-1 to set a program record with 32 regular season wins and 22 conference wins.
 
In the opener, Averett scored three runs in the first inning to set the tone of the game. With two on base, junior Taylor Dix notched a 2 RBI single up the middle to send in sophomores Jessica Long and Samantha Hall, and sophomore Meredith Rudisill batted in junior Mary Beth Smith.
 
The Cougars tacked on two more runs in the second frame with Dix's 2 RBI double to gain a 5-1 advantage over the Lions, who scored in the top of the second on a run from Becka Ross.
 
However, the Lions shifted the momentum their way, trimming the lead to 5-4 after the third, and they took the lead in the top of the fifth when Laura Carter singled to left center. Whitney Wolfe and Abby Atkinson ran in to get ahead 7-6. Even with losing the lead, Averett (32-1-1, 22-1 USA South) battled though three errors in the fifth to take the game back in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Hall, who went 4-for-4, loaded the bases with a bunt single to advance junior Jessye Crews to second and move junior Rhyan Scearce to third. Dix came in to hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Scearce, knotting the game at 7-7. Smith, who batted next with two outs, had the game-winning RBI with a double to left field that sent Crews and Hall home for a 9-7 advantage. Smith went 2-for-4, and Dix went 2-for-3 while each finished with four RBIs. The Cougars scored again when Smith ran in on senior Emily Dunford's single to left field.
 
Piedmont (16-12, 13-11 USA South) couldn't redeem itself in the seventh frame, allowing Averett to clinch the 10-7 win. Senior Amy Hamlett pitched the sixth and seventh innings to claim the win for a 5-0 record.
 
The Cougars started Game 2 the same way with three runs in the first for a 3-0 edge over the Lions. Dix's single to left center scored Long while Smith's double to left center ran in Hall. Two batters later, Rudisill hit a sacrifice fly to right field that brought in Dix. Smith finished with two RBIs, including a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Hall to score in the third inning. Averett cruised to a 5-1 win, and junior pitcher Jessica Griffin improved to 10-0.
 
The Cougars take the field again next weekend in the USA South Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The tournament will be held at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.