DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University softball extended its winning streak to five games following a doubleheader sweep of non-conference foe Randolph College on Wednesday at Cougar Field. Averett won 4-3 in eight innings, then won 8-1 in Game 2.
 
In the opener, Averett squeaked out a 4-3 win in extra innings. Tied 3-3, Averett's defense got out of the top half of the inning without allowing the placed runner to score. In the bottom of the eighth, junior Karsin Lee's bunt single moved junior Emily Fugate — Averett's placed runner at second base — over to third. Randolph nearly got out of the jam after getting a flyout to shallow right in which the WildCats threw out the runner attempting to tag from third for two quick outs. However, sophomore pinch hitter Briana Battinelli came through with a hard ground ball to shortstop, which Randolph misplayed and allowed Lee to score the game-winning run from third.

Randolph took a 2-0 lead on a two-run single in the second inning. Averett tied it in the fourth with an RBI double down the left field line by senior Hannah Thompson, who later scored on an error.
A fielding error allowed Randolph to go in front 3-2 in the top of the sixth but Averett answered with an RBI single by senior Lauren Johnston in the bottom of the fame to tie it 3-3.
Freshman Madison Adams (2-1) got the win in relief, pitching the final three innings.

Lee, Johnston and sophomore Chloe Horton each had two hits apiece for the Cougars in Game 1.
 
Averett took the early lead in Game 2 by loading the bases for Thompson, who poked an RBI single through the left side to score Johnston to give the Cougars a 1-0 advantage after one inning. Coleman extended Averett's lead to 3-0 with a two-run single in the second inning. Horton's RBI single and Coleman's RBI double in the fourth pushed the Averett lead to 5-0 to put the Cougars in control.

Although Randolph scored in the top of the fifth, Averett added three runs in its half of the inning. Freshman Peyton Lowery had an RBI single, senior Kourtnie Blankenship had an RBI groundout and Johnston added an RBI single up the middle to give Averett its 8-1 lead.

Sophomore Taylor Sullivan threw a complete game, striking out six for the win.
 
Averett travels to Methodist University on Saturday for a conference doubleheader.
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