WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Averett University softball collected a pair of crucial conference road wins on Wednesday evening as the Cougars defeated Salem College 8-3 and 9-6.

Averett (25-12, 9-5 USA South) used the long ball to put away Salem (19-12, 8-6 USA South) in the first game. Up 1-0 early, junior Breanna Muprhy smacked a solo homer in the second inning to extend the lead, and freshman Hannah Thompson added a solo homer in the fourth to make it 3-0. Although Salem added a run in the bottom of the fourth, the Cougars added a two-run homer by freshman Zamyiah Mangum and a three-run blast from freshman Erin Rankin in the top of of the seventh to give Averett an 8-2 advantage.

Salem scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough as Thompson (13-3) picked up the win in the circle.

Rankin, Thompson and Murphy each had two hits in Game 1.

In Game 2, Averett needed a three-run double from freshman Kourtnie Blankenship in the top of the seventh to break a 6-6 tie and seal the win.

Thompson's RBI double put the Cougars in front 1-0 in the opening inning, but and error and an RBI single in the second helped Salem go in front 2-1.

Thompson added her second homer of the day in the third inning to tie it, 2-2, and Mangum smashed her second homer of the evening in the fourth to put Averett back in front 3-2. The Cougars tacked on three more runs in the fifth on a Murphy RBI groudnout, a Mangum RBI double and an RBI single from junior Taylor Bailey, which all extended Averett's lead to 6-2. Those runs were crucial as Salem tied it, 6-6, with a grand slam in the sixth inning.

Two walks around an error loaded the bases for Averett in the top of the seventh. Blankenship entered to pinch-hit and roped a bases-clearing double to left-center field to regain the lead for the Cougars.

Bailey (6-4), who pitched nearly the entire game, earned the win while pitching seven innings and allowing just four runs — two earned.

Thompson continued her hot streak at the plate, going 3-for-4 in Game 2. Mangum and junior Casey Cook also contributed two hits apiece.

Averett finishes its regular season at home on Friday at 1 p.m. against Greensboro College — a doubleheader that was moved up a day early because of the weather forecast this weekend.