RALEIGH, N.C. — Averett University softball opened its USA South Conference First Round best-of-three series with a 4-2 win over William Peace University on Friday. The two teams battled to a 5-5 tie through nine innings before the game was suspended due to darkness entering the top of the 10th inning.

Play will resume in Game 2 on Saturday at 1 p.m. If Averett (26-14) wins Game 2, the Cougars advance to the double elimination portion of the USA South Conference Tournament in LaGrange, Georgia. If William Peace (15-18) wins Game 2, the two teams will play a decisive Game 3 immediately after to decide which team advances past the first round.

Averett opened Game 1 on a strong note, jumping ahead 2-0 on RBI singles by freshman Hannah Thompson and junior Nicole Cauthen in the top of the first inning. Junior Brianna Harris' RBI double to right-center made it 3-0 in the second, and the Cougars tacked on another run that frame with freshman Erin Rankin's RBI sacrifice fly, which scored Harris.

William Peace made it interesting, however. The Pacers scored in the third on an RBI fielder's choice, and got within 4-2 thanks to an RBI double in the fifth. In the sixth, William Peace drew three consecutive two-out walks to load the bases before Averett induced an inning-ending groundout.

Thompson (14-4) got the win, striking out four while allowing just two runs on three hits. She also accounted for one of Averett's five hits at the plate. Junior Kaitlyn Aherron, Cauthen, freshman Zamyiah Mangum and Harris had the other hits for the Cougars in Game 1.

While Game 1 started out well for the Cougars, William Peace grabbed the upper hand at the start of Game 2. The Pacers hit a grand slam in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead.

Although it missed out on several scoring opportunities, Averett fought back to tie the game late.Junior Casey Cook made it 4-1 when she scored on an error on Aherron's steal of second base in the third. Another William Peace error in the fourth allowed the Cougars to get within 4-2. Then Averett knotted the game, 4-4, in the fifth on Cauthen's RBI single and freshman Kaity Sullivan's bases-loaded walk.

William Peace loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the seventh. Although the Cougars walked in the go-ahead run to put the Pacers ahead, Averett got out of the inning with a forceout at home and a strikeout to remain down by only one run. That proved to be crucial as the Cougars loaded the bases themselves in the bottom of the seventh, and Cook drew a game-tying, bases-loaded walk to extend the game into extra innings.

Averett the got potential game-winning runs into scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings before William Peace worked out of the jams.

Still tied after nine innings, the teams couldn't continue play as the sun set on the William Peace University Softball Complex, which isn't equipped with lights. With Friday's forecast showing heavy rain and storms, play will resume on Saturday.