VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Averett University baseball split with Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe Virginia Wesleyan University on the road Monday afternoon. Winning game one 4-2 and dropping game two 13-8.
Averett (5-20-1, 2-11 ODAC) combined for 12 runs and 15 hits over the two games against Virginia Wesleyan (5-20-1, 4-8-1 ODAC).
The Cougars trailed 1-0 in game one after the first inning before the offense got going in the second inning. Sophomore Nick Romano's RBI sacrifice fly to center scored fellow sophomore Caden Grider, who reached earlier from his double to left field tying the game at 1-1.
With two outs left in the top of the second, sophomore Mason Williams sent a two RBI double to left-field, scoring senior Kyle Wilson and sophomore Preston Robbins who both reached earlier by walks.
The Marlins attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth inning when they scored from an RBI single to left to put the game at 3-2.
Both teams would go three scoreless innings until the eighth inning when senior Brandt Brophy knocked an RBI double to center-field to bring home Williams' lead-off double to left, adding a needed insurance run for the Cougars and brining the final game score to 4-2.
Freshman right-hander Blake Cheatham (1-1) picked up his first career win on the mound. Cheatham pitched 5.0 innings with two strikeouts over 26 batters faced. Sophomore Nathan Comer picked up his second save of the year, going 4.0 innings in relief with no runs scores, six strikeouts and only allowing two hits.
From the plate Williams was perfect, going three for three with two RBI, one run scores, a walk and one stolen base. All three of his hits were doubles. Freshman Chris Byrd, Brophy and Grider each had a hit in game one.
In game two, the Marlins came alive at the plat, scoring six runs in the first two innings. In the top of the third freshman Connor Kubis' RBI sacrifice fly scored Romano's lead off hit by pitch. In the bottom half of the third Virginia Wesleyan tacked on three runs to extend its lead.
In the fourth Averett cut into the Marlins lead from Grider's RBI fielder's choice that scored sophomore Kevin Zischke's lead off single.
Averett would mount a comeback in the fifth inning beginning with Brophy's single to left-field, putting Kubis and Williams who reached from a walk and a hit by pitch in scoring position with just one out. With the bases fully juiced, Zischke capitalized on the opportunity sending a two RBI single up the middle, scoring Kubis and Williams while putting Brophy in scoring position with just one out.
Grider smoked a two-out two RBI double to right-field that brought home Brophy and Zischke and put Grider in scoring position with the score now 9-6. Wilson reached first on a throwing error by VWU's catcher, bringing the tying run Romano up to the plate with two outs. Wilson was caught stealing to end the Cougars' fifth inning surge.
Averett's momentum continued in the sixth from Brophy's two RBI single to right that scored Romano's hit by pitch and sophomore Cole McLain's single up the middle to bring the Cougars within one, 9-8.
In the bottom half of the sixth the Marlins stretched out their lead again by adding two runs and then sealing the win by adding two insurance runs in the eighth to bring the game two final score to 13-8.
Brophy and Zischke went two for four with, two RBI's and two runs scored. Grider tallied three RBI's and a RBI fielder's choice in game two.
Averett is back in action tomorrow, April 11 at 6 p.m. when it travels to ODAC foe Roanoke College.
