GREENSBORO, N.C. – Averett University baseball surged late to defeat Guilford College, extending its winning streak to eight in a row.
Averett (13-3, 5-0 ODAC) scored six runs across the game's final three innings to win the Old Dominion Athletic Conference showdown on the road against Guilford (12-4, 2-3 ODAC).
The battle between conference rivals started out in favor of the visiting Cougars. Averett struck early on a single into the outfield grass off the bat of graduate student
Nolan Maccabe. Redshirt sophomore
Trevor Testerman crossed the plate to put the run on the board, after singling and stealing a base to put himself in scoring position. Testerman gave the Quakers' supporters a but of deja vu in the third inning, as the Cougars' third baseman singled and swiped another base, his ninth of the season, before being knocked home by Maccabe to push Averett ahead 2-0.
The tide swung in favor of the home team in the middle innings. Guilford tallied six unanswered runs between the third and seventh inning before Averett rebounded.
The Cougars' comeback started in the top of the seventh with a two-out rally. Senior
Mason Williams kicked things off with a quality at bat, working a walk to bring the top of the order up to bat. Senior
Kevin Zischke doubled into right field to put two ducks on the pond for Testerman. The dual-sport star walloped a ball into the left center gap to draw the Cougars closer.
Senior
Preston Robbins lit the candle in the eighth inning with a single through the right side of the Quakers' infield. Junior
J.C. Barry joined the hit parade with a double of his own, and once again Averett had two in scoring position. Sophomore
Tyler Lowe drove one of the runners home, and senior
Tyler Wilson singled to score another run as the Cougars continued to claw back into the fight.
With Averett firmly back into the fight, the top of the order came to the plate to throw blows. Guilford's pitching staff struck first, however, as back-to-back hit batsmen left the Cougars bruised but in position to land a finishing strike. Robbins connected on a perfectly placed ball into the right field gap, another Averett double, to send Testerman flying home from second to score the tying run. Sophomore
Drew Skinner got the job done at the plate to score the game's winning run, as the speedy Maccabe dashed home from third to put the exclamation mark on Averett's stellar comeback.Â
The Cougars' pitching staff held strong while the offense swung its way back into the game. Freshman
Corbin Mickle started the game off and provided a solid 4.1 innings of work. Youth and experience combined to hold Guilford in check as the game reached its deciding innings. Senior
Jake Braun earned the win with two innings of work, the seventh and eighth, in which he struck out two Quakers. The two innings of one-run ball continue a fantastic return to the mound for one of the elder statesmen of the young Cougars' bullpen. Freshman
Cade Sabin, one of the aforementioned rising young arms in the Cougars' stable, took the ball to close out the game in the ninth. Sabin shut down Guilford quickly, needing just 13 pitches to stifle the Quakers. It's the second save of the season for Sabin, as well as the second win for Braun.
Testerman shined at the plate, going 3-for-4 on the day, knocking in two runs while scoring three runs himself. Testerman, Zischke, Robbins, and Barry each added a double to their season tallies. Testerman and Maccabe each scored an "old-fashioned double" to steal a term from basketball, in the spirit of March Madness, as the Cougars' speed demons were able to swipe second base after singling three times between the two batters.
The dramatic comeback proves that Lady Luck is shining bright on the Cougars, as the winning streak now reaches eight straight. A tough test awaits, with the always vaunted Hornets of Shenandoah University next on the schedule. The first game of a two-game home stand is set for Friday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m. from Owen-Fulton Field in Danville, Virginia.
