DANVILLE, Va. – Powered by strong pitching and late-game heroics, Averett University baseball opened up the 2025 season with a sweep of the visiting Brevard College Tornados on Saturday at Owen-Fulton Field.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Drew Skinner found himself in the middle of a baseball player's dream at-bat. The Cougars' first baseman stepped up and delivered in the clutch, lining a single into the right field grass to bring home sophomore Maddox Jordan and send the Averett dugout pouring onto the field.
Game 2 started off looking just as Game 1 with Averett's trio of freshman pitchers — Ean Amerson, Corbin Mickle and Cade Sabin — combining to keep the Brevard offense at bay for most of the game. Averett (2-0) small-balled its way into an early lead with quality at-bats from Skinner and graduate student Nolan Maccabe. Brevard (0-2) sounded back with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, before Skinner began solidifying his career day with a monster of a double that smacked the left field wall and handed Averett the lead back in the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Preston Robbins' RBI hit and some crafty baserunning helped Averett extend its lead to 5-2.
The Tornados roared back in the top of the eighth to set the game back to a tie, a 5-5 stalemate that held in place until Skinner delivered the knockout punch.
In the early game there was little need for late game dramatics thanks to the Cougars hot start. Redshirt sophomore Trevor Testerman picked up his torrid pace from last season. Testerman laced a two-RBI triple deep into right field to put Averett into a lead the team would not relinquish. Senior Cole McLain delivered a nearly unblemished performance on the mound. Brevard got on the board just once under McLain's watch, scoring an unearned run in the second inning off of a series of bloop hits mishaps. The defense rebounded brilliantly, however, as freshman shortstop Nathan Michalowicz leapt high to snag a line drive and stifle the Tornados offensive efforts in the third inning.
After the defense locked out Brevard, Averett took to the plate and powered ahead behind the hitting prowess of a familiar core of players. Sophomore Jack Turner tied Testerman for the team lead with two RBIs in the first game, while Robbins tacked one one of his own. Senior Jake Braun shined in his relief appearance, earning his first save of the season in his first opportunity, and securing the win for McLain and the Cougars.
Averett is right back to it to take the field against Brevard for a Sunday matinee as the Cougars look to break out the brooms against the Tornados. First pitch is set for noon.
