ASHLAND, Va. — Averett University softball's postseason run came to an end with a 3-1 loss to No. 16 Randolph-Macon College in the NCAA Regionals on Sunday afternoon in Ashland.

After winning its opening game on Saturday against Randolph-Macon (35-10), Averett (29-20) was eliminated by the Yellow Jackets after the Cougars fell to No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan College earlier Sunday. Randolph-Macon and Virginia Wesleyan advance to Monday's regional final.

"It was a good game," Averett first-year head coach Ashley Pyron said. "It was a grind of a game and it was close. We hit the ball hard but didn't have the breaks we needed."

A day after dominating Randolph-Macon offensively and holding the Yellow Jackets to just one hit in a six-inning 8-0 victory, Averett didn't catch the same breaks in their second matchup with Randolph-Macon. The Cougars left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, then allowed the host Yellow Jackets to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to an error.

Averett battled back to tie it in the third inning. Freshman Kaitlyn Aherron crushed a triple to the fence in left-center, and she later scampered home on a wild pitch.

Although the Cougars got out of a jam in the fourth, Randolph-Macon broke through in the fifth frame. Harley Jones tripled down the left field line, bringing home Savannah Wood to put the Yellow Jackets back in front 2-1. Randolph-Macon added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a squeeze play.

In their first meeting on Saturday, Averett crushed three home runs and totaled 10 hits against Randolph-Macon. The Cougars settled for just three hits officially on Sunday, but hit right-hander Candace Whittemore hard — but right at the Yellow Jackets' fielders.

"We just didn't have the balls fall for us," senior Jessica Long said. "I still think we hit the ball just as hard. It just happened to be right at people.

Aherron had two of Averett's hits, with senior Samantha Hall adding the third.

Averett lost its first game of the day 3-0 to No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan, forcing the Cougars into the elimination side of the bracket.

Although their season came to an end, the Cougars have much to celebrate. They made their third NCAAA Regional appearance in program history after winning the USA South Conference Tournament championship for the second time ever. The Cougars also notched their program's second NCAA Regional win in the victory over Randolph-Macon on Saturday. And they did it despite starting a lineup that was two-thirds freshmen and battling a host of season-ending injuries that shrunk the roster to 12 active players.

"We've played so well," said Long, the two-time USA South Player of the Year. "We've grown from the very beginning and didn't stop. I'm so proud of these girls. Words can't even explain how proud I am of them. We lost a close ball game, and that's just how it is sometimes."

With the loss, the stellar careers of Long and Hall came to a close on Sunday. Both are USA South All-Conference First Team selections who are past All-Americans with academic accolades to boast as well. Pyron praised her two seniors' play on the field, their leadership with the team and their academic success off the field.

"Just the standard of what we want our upperclassmen to look like, they've set the bar really high," Pyron said.

Hall and Aherron earned Region All-Tournament Team honors following the completion of the tournament.