HARRISONBURG, Va. — Averett University baseball weathered Eastern Mennonite University's rally in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 non-conference road win Saturday in a game played on Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park on the campus of James Madison University.
Averett (1-3) got all of its run support in the top of the second inning to help set the tone for the Cougars. Following senior
Brandon Hatcher's lead-off single, freshman
Preston Robbins smacked an RBI triple to put Averett in front 1-0. Robbins then scored moments later on junior
Kyle Wilson's RBI double. The Cougars went up 3-0 on senior
Nate Tuck's RBI single, which scored Wilson.
With a three-run lead, senior right-hander
Avery Spicer cruised through the first seven innings and allowed only three hits. Spicer then worked around a lead-off single by Eastern Mennonite (0-1) in the bottom of the eighth.
In the bottom of the ninth, another lead-off single and a walk for the Royals ended the day for Spicer. Although EMU scored twice in the ninth, senior
Kyle Lamantia ended the game with a strikeout to notch the save, his first of the season.
Spicer (1-1), who struck out eight while allowing just two runs on five hits, earned the win in his second start on the mound this season.
Although Averett's runs came in one inning, the Cougars totaled eight hits. Hatcher led the way with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Wilson finished 2-for-4.
The game's start time was delayed two hours when the game being played on the same field prior to Averett and Eastern Mennonite ran long.
Averett's next game is scheduled for Tuesday at home against Hampden-Sydney College.
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