DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University baseball lost a pair of games to conference foe William Peace University on Saturday afternoon at Owen-Fulton Field. William Peace won the opener 7-5 and took the second half of the doubleheader 9-2.

In both games, Averett (8-24, 4-11 USA South) trailed early and couldn't overcome an initial deficit, which allowed William Peace (15-14, 7-8 USA South) to complete a series sweep.

In Game 1, William Peace took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Pacers got on the board with an RBI single, then added the second run on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded.

After the Pacers upped their lead to 3-0 on a sacrifice fly in the third, Averett got it back in the fourth on junior sophomore Hunter LePrell's RBI single to right field, scoring junior Matt Tuggle. The Cougars then pulled within 3-2 in the fifth when senior Bradley Tickle singled home junior Kyle Vidano from second.

Down 5-2 following a pair of William Peace runs in the top of the sixth, Averett answered with a pair of RBI singles from senior Dallas Smithers and Vidano to help the Cougars make it 5-4. Yet, once again the Pacers extended their lead with two more runs in the eighth. Averett responded with another run in the eighth but couldn't get any closer.
Averett outhit William Peace 10-8 but the Cougars left 14 on base as the Pacers worked out of several jams. Tickle finished 3-for-3 in the opener, with Vidano, LePrell and sophomore Nick Winston each had two hits.

In the nightcap, William Peace grabbed a 3-0 lead before Averett scored thanks to an error in the bottom of the second. The Pacers added four more runs in the fifth to take a commanding 7-1 advantage.

Averett scored its other run in the sixth inning when sophomore Matt Wall drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the deficit to 7-2. The Pacers got it back in their next at-bat with an RBI single and added another run in the eighth.

???????Vidano and sophomore Chase McKinney each had two hits in Game 2.

???????Averett travels to Eastern Mennonite University for a non-conference doubleheader on Monday in Harrisonburg, Virginia.