LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Averett University baseball team lost a 15-7 decision to the University of Lynchburg Thursday afternoon in non-conference action.
 
Lynchburg (10-13) used a seven run seventh inning to come from behind for the second time on the afternoon and managed to fight off the Cougars for the win. 
 
Averett (4-21) exploded in the opening inning of Thursday's match scoring five quick runs on six hits.
 
Freshman Brandon Hatcher put the first run on the board for Averett when he singled to center field scoring sophomore Ryan Traylor who singled to open the game. 
 
Junior Cody Jones singled to left field to score Hatcher for the second Cougars run, before freshman Jason Maggs singled to center field scoring sophomore Tucker Majetic who also singled in the inning. 
 
Sophomore Dante George knocked in the Cougars final two runs of the inning on a double down the right field line that scored Jones and Maggs. 
 
The Hornets got a run back in the bottom of the first inning to cut into the Cougars lead at 5-1. 
 
Traylor added an insurance run in the top of the six inning to give Averett a 6-1 advantage, but Lynchburg put five runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 6-6. 
 
Senior A.J. Hart gave the Cougars back the lead in the top of the seventh inning scoring Maggs on an RBI tripled to right field. 
 
However, seven runs for Lynchburg in the bottom of the seventh inning pushed the lead to 13-7. 
 
The Hornets added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to increase their lead to 15-7. 
 
Thursday marked the second highest hit total for the Cougars on the year as Maggs recorded a career-high three hits on the afternoon for his second multiple hit game on the season. 
 
Traylor and Hatcher each recorded two hits for Averett, while junior Sawyer Smith, Majetic, Jones, George, Hart and freshman Nate Tuck all added hits. 
 
The Cougars return back to the diamond Friday as they travel to Cary, N.C. for a three-game conference battle with William Peace University with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.