DANVILLE, Va. — The Averett University baseball team dropped a 12-4 home contest to Hampden-Sydney College Monday afternoon.
 
Hampden-Sydney (2-1) scored its first run of the afternoon early in the top of the first inning before sophomore Kyle Lamantia settled down on the mound for the Cougars and commanded the outside half of the strike zone. 
 
Lamantia scattered five hits over five dominate innings of work allowing a single unearned run, walking one batter and striking out three.
 
Averett (0-4) tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when junior Chase McKinney singled to open the inning followed by back-to-back walks issued to juniors Andrew Lancaster and Tucker Majetic. The Cougars would cross the plate when sophomore Dante George was hit by a pitch forcing home McKinney for the tying run.
 
The Cougars would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning aided by sophomore Ryan Traylor's walk to open the inning. Traylor later came around to score for on a McKinney single to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Lancaster aided in the second run of the inning to take a 3-1 lead reaching on a fielders choice to second base that allowed senior Kyle Vidano to cross the plate.
 
However, Hampden-Sydney benefited from a six run sixth inning to take a 7-3 lead.
 
The Tigers added five runs over the final three innings to take a commanding 12-3 lead, but Averett managed to add a run in the bottom of the ninth when Brandon Hatcher singled to open the inning, stole second base and came around to score on back-to-back wild pitches. 
 
Offensively, Averett was paced by McKinney who finished two of three from the plate with a walk and one run batted in. Vidano, Hatcher and Traylor collected the Cougars remaining hits, while the team finished the afternoon with seven walks. 
 
The Cougars return back to the diamond Tuesday when they host the University of Lynchburg at 2 p.m. at Owen-Fulton Field.