DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University softball lost a pair of home games to No. 6 Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play. The nationally ranked Marlins won 9-4 and 10-1 in six innings.
 
In the opening game, Virginia Wesleyan (19-5, 3-1 ODAC) used an RBI double and a sacrifice fly to take an early 2-0 lead in the second. After a solo homer increased the Marlins' lead to 3-0, Averett senior Lauren Nelson parked a solo home run into the trees down the left field line to get the Cougars back within 3-1.

Virginia Wesleyan added four more runs in the top of the fifth with the help of a two-run homer. Averett (5-17, 0-4 ODAC) got two back in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles from sophomore Angela Rodriguez and Nelson, but it wasn't enough. Virginia Wesleyan added another insurance run in the sixth and seventh innings. Freshman Hannah Zabik gave the Cougars one run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI groundout for Averett's final run.

Rodriguez and Nelson each had two hits for the Cougars in Game 1.

Game 2 was a tight matchup until late. Down 2-0 in the second inning, Averett used an RBI groundout by sophomore Peyton Lowery to cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the second. The Marlins got it right back in the third, then added two runs in the fifth and broke open the game with a five-run sixth.

Nelson, sophomore Salem Hill and senior Karsin Lee each had two hits in Game 2. Both of Lee's hits were doubles in the second game, giving her three total for the day.

Averett hosts No. 9 Randolph-Macon College at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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