DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University softball dominated Brevard College, crushing three home runs and totaling a combined 18 hits in a doubleheader sweep of the Tornados on Saturday at Cougar Field. Averett took the opener 8-0 before winning 11-0 in Game 2 in a pair of five-inning contests.

Averett (13-6) had a walk-off win by run rule in the opener. Leading 3-0, Averett took a commanding 6-0 lead on freshman Hannah Thompson's three-run homer to left field in the bottom of the fifth. The damage didn't stop there for the Tornados, who gave up an RBI double to right-center by junior Breanna Murphy, scoring sophomore pinch runner Myka Patterson from second base. Freshman Kaity Sullivan followed with an RBI double to deep left center that scored senior pinch runner Brianna Harris to secure the victory by the eight-run rule.

The Cougars slowly built an early lead on Brevard (8-13). Thompson's RBI single in the first inning gave Averett a 1-0 advantage, and Sullivan smacked her second homer of the season with her solo shot to left field in the second. Averett added its third run in the fourth on Murphy's RBI single before exploding for five runs in the fifth to end the game early.

Thompson finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs, but was equally as impressive in the circle. She allowed just one hit while striking out five in five innings of work to improve to 7-2 on the season.
In addition to Thompson's production at the plate, the Cougars also got two hits apiece from freshman Zamyiah Mangum, Murphy and Sullivan.

In Game 2, the Cougars had two breakout innings that led to all the scoring. In the second inning, freshman Anna Coleman led off with a double and scored on Mangum's two-run blast to left-center for her first career homer. A throwing error by Brevard later in the inning allowed Harris to score to put Averett ahead 3-0.

The Cougars blew the game open in the third, tallying eight runs on six hits and one error. Thompson, Sullivan and Aherron each had RBI singles in the frame, while Thompson and Harris each had an RBI double as well.

Junior right-hander Taylor Bailey (4-3) no-hit Brevard through three innings while striking out six to earn the win. Aherron pitched the final two innings of scoreless relief.

Saturday's doubleheader was the first ever meeting between the two programs. Although Averett and Brevard are both in the USA South Conference, the games didn't count toward conference standings because they are in different divisions.

Averett travels to play non-conference foe Eastern Mennonite University at 1 p.m. on Sunday.