DANVILLE, Va. — Freshman Braxton Eades threw six shutout innings in Averett University baseball's 5-0 victory over Guilford College on Thursday in non-conference action. 
 
Averett (1-17) picked up its first victory of the 2020 season, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-0 advantage over Guilford (7-8). 
 
Two of those runs came off the bat of junior Tanner Bradshaw who crushed a two RBI double down the left field line that drove in sophomore Nate Tuck and senior Zack DeCarlo who both opened the inning with bunt singles.
 
Freshman Kyle Wilson tallied the Cougars third run when he double down the left field line as well scoring Bradshaw. 
 
That would be all the run support Eades needed on the afternoon as the freshman threw six dominate innings, scattering seven hits, while allowing only one walk and striking out five batters for his first collegiate victory. 
 
Eades would give way to Bradshaw in the top of the seventh inning, as the junior pitched a scoreless inning of relief, allowing both a walk and one hit, before being replaced by junior Ryan Traylor who slammed the door shut for the Cougars in the eighth and ninth innings for his first save of the season. 
 
Traylor pitched a scoreless eighth inning of relief, giving Averett's offense another opportunity to add runs in the bottom of the inning and the offense did not disappoint, with Traylor helping his cause on a run following a Guilford error and DeCarlo put the Cougars in the drivers seat 5-0 with an RBI single down the left field line. 
 
The Cougars finished the afternoon with three double plays, two of which came in the final innings, including the final two outs of Thursday's victory. 
 
DeCarlo finished 3-4 from the plate after being moved up into the three spot, while Tuck also added three hits on the afternoon. 
 
Additionally, Wilson and senior Andrew Lancaster collected two hits apiece, while McKinney, Bradshaw and Traylor all collected hits.
 
Averett's next schedule game is March 20 when they host Greensboro College at 3:30 p.m. in USA South Conference action.