DANVILLE, Va. — Freshman
Peyton Lowery's seventh-inning single up the middle scored junior
Karsin Lee from third to give Averett University softball a 4-3 walk-off victory over Pfeiffer University to help the Cougars earn a doubleheader split Tuesday at Cougar Field. Pfeiffer won the opener 1-0.
Pfeiffer (24-8, 10-2 USA South) jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a two-run single in the third and an RBI single in the top of the fourth. Averett (17-11, 8-6 USA South) got one run back in the bottom of the fourth on senior
Anna Coleman's solo homer off the scoreboard in left field, trimming the Falcons' lead to 3-1.
Averett then gained momentum in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on first and third, the Cougars executed a rundown play to perfection, which allowed Lee to come home while junior
Emily Fugate safely got to second base. That proved to be crucial as Fugate later scored on senior
Lauren Johnston's RBI single to tie the game, 3-3.
Sophomore right-hander
Taylor Sullivan worked out of a jam in the top of the seventh to keep the game tied and give Averett the chance to win in the bottom of the inning. Her teammates came through.
Lee beat an out infield single up the middle with one out, and Fugate singled to right field. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch to put the winning run at third base. Averett head coach
Steve Alcorn called on Lowery to pinch hit, and the freshman came through. With the infield drawn in, Lowery poked a single past the shortstop to score Lee from third and give the Cougars' the big conference win over Pfeiffer and hand the Falcons only their second USA South loss of the season.
Sullivan (10-3) earned her 10th win of the season and inched closer to 100 strikeouts on the season. She had nine against the Falcons to put her at 93 this season.
Averett nearly had back-to-back walk-off wins against Pfeiffer but the Falcons held on in Game 1.
In the opener, Pfeiffer scored the lone run of the game with an RBI single in the third inning. The Falcons limited Averett to just one hit through the first six innings, but Averett threatened in the seventh inning. Freshman
Angela Rodriguez led off with a single, and after moving to second base on a sacrifice bunt, Rodriguez advanced to third on a single by junior
Emily Fugate. Following a walk to senior
Elena Lewis to load the bases, Pfeiffer pitcher Ashlyn Kennedy got a strikeout and a popout to shortstop in shallow center field to end the game with the tying run on third and preserve the win.
Averett returns to action on Saturday at Greensboro College.
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