DANVILLE, Va. – Averett University baseball took care of business against William Peace University on Tuesday to continue the Cougars' winning ways.
Averett (12-3, 4-0 ODAC) won its non-conference clash against William Peace (5-16, 0-3 USA South) to extend the team's winning streak to seven straight, 8-4.
The Cougars and Pacers entered Tuesday's contest in an identical mindset, as each side committed to a bullpen game. Freshman
Adan True took the mound to start for Averett, the first in his career. The Cougars' young southpaw hurled three solid innings after an early hiccup, allowing only two runs to cross the plate. Youth gave way to experience as junior
Michael Pellegrino took the ball. Pellegrino tossed 2.1 innings, punching out two Pacers in his time on the mound. Sophomore
Garrett Arner, senior
Nathan Comer, and junior
Tim Schware combined to hold William Peace scoreless over the final three innings of play.
Averett's offense got out of the gates hot, with three runs in the first inning. Errors abounded throughout the game for the Pacers, as the Cougars' first batter of the day reached base via error. One of six the Pacers would tally over the nine-inning contest. Averett capitalized on the gaffe quickly and emphatically, as graduate student
Nolan Maccabe belted a triple to the right-center gap to score two Cougars. Senior
Preston Robbins added a single to score Maccabe and push Averett into a lead the team would never surrender.
The Cougars tacked on five more runs over the final eight innings after their initial outburst. Among the highlights of those scoring plays was a Little League classic, as Averett executed a perfect double steal with senior
Kevin Zischke swiping second while senior
Mason Williams stole home and stole a run in the process. Sophomore
Jack Turner and Robbins each added a sacrifice fly, Williams singled down the left field line, and defensive mishaps from the Pacers accounted for Averett's scoring on the day.
Maccabe and Robbins led the way with two RBIs each. Williams boosted his average, going 3-for-4 with three base knocks, while Maccabe and Robbins provided the power with a triple and double respectively.
The win makes seven in a row for the Cougars, who are officially streaking early in the season. A tough test awaits as Averett pays a visit to Guilford College for a conference clash. First pitch against the Quakers is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday
