DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University baseball battled back to tie the game late, but Bridgewater College edged the Cougars 10-7 for a non-conference victory on Thursday afternoon at Owen-Fulton Field.
 
Averett (5-15) railed to tie the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore A.J. Hart singled home the first running of the inning, and another scored on sophomore Matt Tuggle's sacrifice fly. Senior Trey Wall tied the game at 6-6 with his two-run double to left-center field.
 
The lead, however, was short-lived as Bridgewater (8-8) retook the lead in the top of the eighth with the help of two errors. The Eagles added three more runs to go ahead 10-6 in the ninth to help pull away.
 
The Cougars didn't go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Averett loaded the bases and closed the gap to 10-7 on Wall's RBI single to right field. Yet, Bridgewater right-hander Kyle Jones notched a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
 
Bridgewater took the early lead in the fourth inning, plating four runs — including two on a two-run blast by Austin Batten to right field. Averett answered with a pair of runs to cut its deficit to 4-2 on senior Hunter Ashworth's two-RBI double down the left field line.
 
The Eagles extended their lead to 6-2 in the seventh frame with a pair of RBI singles before Averett battled back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Ashworth finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored to lead Averett, while Wall finished with three of hits and three RBIs.

Prior to the game, Averett presented coach Ed Fulton with a signed baseball commemorating his 400th career win, which he earned last Saturday.
 
Averett returns to action on Saturday when the Cougars travel to LaGrange College for a three-game series.