ASHLAND, Va. — Averett University softball used a combination of big hits and great pitching to knock off 16th-ranked Randolph-Macon College 8-0 in six innings to opening play at the NCAA Regional on Saturday afternoon on the Yellow Jackets' home field.

Averett (29-18) advances to play in Sunday's winner's bracket game at 11 a.m. against No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan College, which beat Franklin & Marshall College 5-0.

Freshman Kaitlyn Aherron gave Averett an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when the USA South Conference Rookie of the Year crushed a two-run homer off the scoreboard in right field in her first plate appearance. That momentum gave the right-hander and her team all the confidence they needed to shock regional host Randolph-Macon (33-10).

???????Aherron (16-8) tossed a one-hit shutout while striking out five and allowing three walks to earn the victory in the circle.

"It was pretty cool having my team back me up and having momentum," Aherron said. "To be able to go out there and not have to worry if we we're down because we were up really helps a lot."

Despite not playing a game in nearly a month — Averett won the USA South Tournament championship on April 15 — the Cougars' offense picked up right where it left off. After Aherron put Averett ahead, freshman Breanna Murphy led off the top of the second inning with a solo homer to right-center field. The Cougars extended their lead to 4-0 later that inning on senior Jessica Long's sacrifice fly.

???????Averett tacked on two more runs in the third on freshman Nicole Cauthen's two-RBI double to right-center, then went ahead 7-0 in the top of the fifth on sophomore Andrea Grant's solo homer to lead off the top of the fifth.

Aherron's RBI groundout following senior Samantha Hall's triple in the sixth gave the Cougars' the eight-run margin they needed to end the game early after shutting the door on Randolph-Macon in the bottom half of the frame.

"I'm really proud of how our team came out today," Averett first-year coach Ashley Pyron said. "We stuck to our game plan from the first pitch to the end and we executed well."

The Yellow Jackets' only threat game in the bottom of the first. Aherron gave up a lead-off walk, then hit a batter to put two aboard for Savannah Wood, who recorded Randolph-Macon's only base hit with a single through the left side. The Cougars, however, benefitted from a base-running mistake and got the runner out at second after she rounded the bag and couldn't get back before being tagged out. Aherron took care of the rest, striking out the next two batters to get out of the jam unharmed.

While Randolph-Macon's offense struggled, Averett's lineup pounded 10 hits, including two each by Hall, Aherron and Grant.

For Averett, which is making its third NCAA Regional appearance, it was the program's second NCAA Tournament win. The Cougars also won their opener during the 2015 NCAA Regional over Berry College.