RALEIGH, N.C. — Averett University softball split a conference doubleheader with Meredith College on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars lost the opening game 8-7 in extra innings and defeated Meredith 7-0 in the nightcap.
 
In Game 2, Averett (8-16, 4-4 USA South) started a scoring rally in the top of the fifth inning.  Sophomore Mallory Griffiths scored the first run on a fielder's choice. Sophomore Nicole Cauthen singled up the middle scoring two runs to extend her team's lead to 3-0. Cauthen would score on an error by the Avenging Angels to complete the inning 4-0. The Cougars would score three more runs in the seventh inning to complete the shutout.
 
Sophomore Kaitlyn Aherron led the Cougars with two hits. Cauthen followed leading with two RBI's.
 
Freshman right-hander Dani Kahn (2-4) shut the door on Meredith in the seventh inning. She allowed only three hits, one walk, and one strikeout.
 
In the opening game, Averett would get on the board first on a fielder's choice scoring Carbajal. Griffiths singled to shortstop scoring the next run and extended the Cougars lead to 2-0. Junior Andrea Grant gave her team a 3-0 lead when she doubled to center field scoring Aherron in the fifth inning. Meredith (11-10, 4-4 USA South) would take the lead in the sixth inning on a two-run homerun to put them in front 4-3. 

Averett led the way going into the bottom of the seventh inning 5-4. Meredith would tie the game 5-5 on a sacrifice fly to force the game into extra innings.
 
In the top of the ninth, with a runner placed on second base via the international tiebreaker rule, Cauthen would give her team the lead back scoring Griffiths on a groundout to second base. Grant singled to left field scoring Hodges to give the score of 7-5. The Avenging Angels would come to the plate in the bottom of the inning tying the game on Maria Annunziata's single to left field. Meredith would complete the game when Eran Artigues hit a double to left field to score the wining run.

Aherron, Grant and Griffiths each had two hit apiece in Game 1. Grant also had three RBI's.  
 
Averett travels to William Peace University for a doubleheader on Sunday.