DANVILLE, Va. ­— Junior Hunter Ashworth hit his first career grand slam, and the Averett University baseball team avoided a three-game sweep with an 8-5 victory over N.C. Wesleyan College on Sunday at Owen-Fulton Field.

With Averett (3-5, 1-2 USA South) already ahead 2-0, Ashworth capped off an explosive first inning with a bomb to left field that gave the Cougars a solid six-run advantage. Sophomore Dallas Smithers led off with a single through the left side and sophomore Kyle Vidano followed with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners for the Cougars. Senior Nic Futrell scored Smithers with an RBI single through the right side to plate the first run of the game. Two batters later, senior Billy McLaughlin plated Vidano with a single down the right field line to give Averett an insurance run. Ashworth came up next and delivered his second home run of the season to give the Cougars a commanding 6-0 lead after one.

Things were looking bleak for N.C. Wesleyan (10-4, 8-2 USA South) heading into its final at-bat, but the Battling Bishops used a four-run ninth to get within three. Shortstop Ciro Norzagaray kicked off the frame with a double to center and James Lovett followed with a two-run blast to left-center to make it 8-3. Several batters later, Logan Andrews brought home two runs with a single to center to get N.C. Wesleyan within three down to its final out. However, senior Joshua Hatcher got Justin DiSanto to fly out to center to give Averett its first conference victory of the season.

Despite spotting the Cougars the early advantage, N.C. Wesleyan got on the board the following frame. After double and single put two runners in scoring position, Hunter Cannon delivered an RBI sacrifice fly to right to cut the Battling Bishops' deficit down to five heading into the bottom of the second.

After the two teams only recorded a combined four hits over the next three frames, N.C. Wesleyan appeared ready to even the score in the fifth inning. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Battling Bishops with two outs, but senior right-hander T.J. Viracola (2-2) got Kaelan Jacobs to strike out looking to end the threat.

The Cougars grabbed a pair of runs over the course of the sixth and seventh to extend its lead to 8-1 after seven. Senior Noah Greenblatt came home on a Smithers' lineout to right to give Averett a six-run cushion. In the seventh, Futrell drove in his second run of the game with a single through the right side to push the Cougars' lead to seven heading into the eighth.

Futrell went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Ashworth brought home four runs to pace Averett offensively. Vidano recorded a pair of hits and McLaughlin drove in a run as well.

Viracola pitched a strong five innings, surrendering only one earned run, while striking out three. Seniors Cody Johnson, Drew Evans and Joshua Hatcher along with junior Gavin Horton closed the door on the Battling Bishops in relief.

Earlier in the day, Averett closed out the remainder of yesterday's game with N.C. Wesleyan that was halted in the top of the 16th due to darkness.

Cedrick Kornegay drove in the go-ahead run that put the Battling Bishops on top 8-7. A wild pitch and RBI groundout gave N.C. Wesleyan a three-run edge heading into the bottom of the 17th. Despite this, Averett almost pulled out another comeback when senior Kyle Walsh crushed a two-run double to left-center that got the Cougars within one at 10-9. However, Norzagaray induced a game-winning strikeout to lift the Battling Bishops to the victory.

Averett will look to stay in the win column when it travels to Lexington, Virginia, to take on Washington & Lee University on March 2 at 3 p.m.