MISENHEIMER, N.C. — Averett University baseball lost a heartbreaker 4-3 after Pfeiffer University rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth in the first game of their three-game conference series Saturday night.
Down 3-1, Pfeiffer (9-12, 5-5 USA South) got a walk, followed by a single to left-center to put runners on the corners for the Falcons in their final at-bat against Averett (10-18, 4-6 USA South). An RBI single up the middle closed the gap to 3-2. Following another walk to load the bases, the tying run came home on a hit by pitch with no one out. The winning run was scored when a second consecutive Pfeiffer player — Josh Turner — was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Falcons the walk-off win.
It was the second consecutive game in which Pfeiffer came from behind and won the game with a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Turner was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded on Wednesday to plate the winning run in a 7-6 Pfeiffer victory over Ferrum College.
Averett's offense, which totaled 11 hits in the game, got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Following junior
Kyle Wilson's one-out single, sophomore
Brandt Brophy smacked a double down the right field line to move Wilson to third. Junior
Nolan Maccabe singled to right to bring in Wilson. Up 1-0, freshman
Preston Robbins then drove in Brophy and Maccabe to give the Cougars a 3-0 advantage.
Averett's three-run lead was trimmed to 3-1 by Pfeiffer in the bottom of the sixth on a Blake Winebarger RBI single up the middle. The Falcons threatened again in the seventh inning, getting the tying runs on base before sophomore right-hander
Shane Michel got a strikeout to end the inning and keep the two-run lead intact until the Falcons rallied in the ninth.
Maccabe, Robbins, sophomore
Hudson Rowe and Brophy each had two hits for Averett.
Freshman right-hander
Jake Braun had six strikeouts while allowing just one run on six hits and two walks but didn't factor into the decision.
The two teams will finish the three-game series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
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