DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University softball defeated Greensboro College 2-1, then lost a heartbreaker in an 11-inning marathon where the Pride held off the Cougars 11-9 to earn a split in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Cougar Field.
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In the opener, Averett (4-12) took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After sophomore
Angela Rodriguez drew a one-out walk, senior
Lauren Nelson crushed a line-drive single to left field that was misplayed by the left fielder, allowing Rodriguez to come home for the first run of the game.
Greensboro (14-4) tied it up briefly with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but Averett answered right back in the bottom half of the inning on junior
Taylor Sullivan's RBI double to left-center, scoring Rodriguez to put the Cougars back in front 2-1.
Sullivan (2-4) went the distance in the circle, striking out four while allowing just one run on four hits.
Nelson finished with two of Averett's five hits as the Cougars ended an eight-game skid by beating reigning USA South Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week Kassie Simmons (6-3).
Averett was close to completing the sweep against its former USA South foe Greensboro. Up 5-3 in the top of the seventh, the Cougars had Greensboro down to its final out. The Pride, however, scored two runs to force extra innings.
Greensboro and Averett traded a run in each of the eighth, ninth and 10th innings to keep the game going. In the 11th inning, the Cougars nearly held the Pride scoreless in the top half of the inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Greensboro scored the go-ahead run to take an 9-8 lead on a wild pitch, then added a two-run single to extend its lead to 11-8. Averett got one run back in the bottom of the 11th but it wasn't enough.
Greensboro jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning and cruised until the fifth. Senior
Hannah Heath then came through for the Cougars with a two-run homer down the left field line to give Averett's offense a boost in the fifth inning, tying the game at 2-2. Later in the inning, Rodriguez smacked a two-run single up the middle to push Averett's lead to 4-2.
After Greensboro pulled within 4-3 in the top of the sixth, Heath came up clutch again with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to help the Cougars take a 5-3 advantage into the seventh inning before Greensboro forced extras.
Freshman
Hannah Zabik led the Cougars with three hits, while Nelson, sophomore
Salem Hill and freshman
Mackenzi Luckenbaugh each had two hits.
Zabik (1-2) took the hard-luck loss in the circle despite going all 11 innings and only allowing six earned runs.
Averett travels to Guilford College on Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader to begin Old Dominion Athletic Conference play.
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