RALEIGH, N.C. — Averett University softball completed an undefeated run at the Triangle Softball Classic Sunday with a 7-0 win over Marymount University and a 6-3 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan University at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex. The Cougars finished the weekend with a 4-0 record at the two-day event.
Averett (11-3) opened the morning with what started out as a pitcher's duel against Marymount (4-6). A scoreless game through five innings, the Cougars got their offense going in the top of the sixth. Freshman
Kennidy Kirby smoked a pitch over the fence in left-center field for her first career homer, which gave Averett a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, senior
Kadence Woodlief went deep to the same part of the park to extend the Cougars' advantage to 2-0.
Kirby came through again in the seventh with an RBI double down the right field line to set off a five-run frame. Junior
Mackenzie Newcomb added a two-run single up the middle, Woodlief had an RBI triple on a fly ball to right that took a wild bounce, and senior
Kailey Gates added an RBI single to extend Averett's lead to 7-0.
Freshman right-hander
Delani Straughan went the distance in the circle, allowing just three hits while striking out two over seven innings.
Offensively against Marymount, junior
Carson Bradsher went 3-for-4, while Kirby, Newcomb and Woodlief each finished with two hits.
Averett found itself in another battle later in the day against N.C. Wesleyan (8-5-1). The Battling Bishops inched ahead 1-0 in the top of the first, but the Cougars had an answer in their half of the inning. An infield error with the bases loaded allowed the tying run to score, and a bases-loaded walk gave Averett a 2-1 lead.
N.C. Wesleyan tied with an RBI single in the third, then jumped back in front 3-2 with a solo homer to lead off the top of the fifth inning. Averett's bats once again came through at the right time. Newcomb tied the game with an infield RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, and Woodlief followed with a three-run blast to left-center to give the Cougars a 6-3 lead. Averett held on the rest of the way to finish the tournament with a perfect record.
Bradsher and Woodlief each had two hits against the Bishops. Junior
Kaci Stephenson finished off the last three innings in relief to earn the win.
The Cougars also beat University of Mary Washington 10-0 in five innings and topped Greensboro College 3-1 on Saturday to begin the Triangle Classic.
Averett returns home to host Methodist University on Thursday in rescheduled games from earlier this season.
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