DANVILLE, Va. — Senior Kevin Zischke's two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning highlighted Averett University baseball's 3-2 win over No. 2 University of Lynchburg on Sunday at Owen-Fulton Field. The Hornets, however, took Game 2 and earned a doubleheader split with a 16-3 win in seven innings.
 
Up 2-1 entering the top of the ninth of Game 1, Averett (17-10, 9-7 ODAC) was three outs away from putting away Lynchburg (27-5, 13-3 ODAC) in Game 1. However, a lead-off double set the table for the Hornets to force extra innings as Benton Jones singled home the tying run a batter later. Although Averett couldn't get the walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth, the Cougars' held Lynchburg in check in the top of the 10th. The Hornets got two quick outs, leaving Zischke as the last hope.

With a two-two count, Zischke hit a high flyball down the left field line that carried over the fence and sent the Averett dugout overflowing to home plate to celebrate the Cougars' second top-10 win over Lynchburg since 2022.

Averett jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opening game after redshirt sophomore Trevor Testerman singled through the left side, scoring senior Kevin Zischke from third. The Cougars loaded the bases with one out, but Lynchburg escaped without further damage. The Hornets took that momentum into the top of the second, tying the game, 1-1, with the help of a single and fielding error that allowed Ryder Warren to score from second base. Yet, like Lynchburg, the Cougars got out of the jam without giving up another run in the frame.

Averett avoided several Lynchburg scoring opportunities thanks to great defense and good pitching. In the top of the fifth, Testerman made back-to-back notable defensive plays with a Hornet on third base. Testerman reached over the fence to catch a foul ball popped up on the third base side. He then reeled in a high chopper over his head for an inning-ending groundout to keep the Hornets off the scoreboard. Lynchburg again threatened in the sixth. After getting two outs on the first two pitches of the inning, three consecutive walks loaded the bases for Lynchburg. Freshman left-handed reliever Maddox Warren came in to get a flyout to right field to end the inning and help the Cougars escape the jam.

In the bottom of the sixth, graduate student Nolan Maccabe drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on a sacrifice blunt and then advanced to third on a check-swing groundout to the right side. Senior J.C. Barry came through with an RBI line-drive single to right-center to push Averett back in front 2-1.

Zischke's eighth home run of the season gave the Cougars their first walk-off win since the first day of the season. It is the second time in as many seasons that Averett has beaten a No. 2 nationally ranked team after topping Shenandoah University last season. The Cougars also beat Lynchburg 1-0 in 2022 when the Hornets were ranked No. 7 in the country.

Although he didn't factor in the decision, Averett got a gem from freshman left-hander Ean Amerson. In 5.2 innings, Amerson allowed just three hits and one run — unearned — while striking out five. Freshman right-hander Cade Sabin earned the win, pitching the final two innings.

Averett took the momentum of the upset win in Game 1 into Game 2 and jumped on Lynchburg for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Maccabe scored from second base after Lynchburg threw the ball away at first base on a sacrifice bunt. Testerman followed moments later with a two-RBI single up the middle to give the Cougars a 3-0 advantage.

That lead lasted until the top of the third when Lynchburg exploded for four runs, including two on a triple to center field that give the Hornets a 4-3 advantage —Lynchburg's first lead of the day. The Hornets tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth with an RBI groundout and an RBI single. Up 6-3, Lynchburg continued to find success at the plate and upped its lead to 16-3 with four more runs in the fifth inning, five runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh as part of 16 unanswered runs.

Averett hosts Guilford College in an ODAC matchup on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
 


 
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