DANVILLE, Va. – Averett extended its winning streak to six straight in the all-time series with Salem as the Cougars posted a 7-4 victory in the first game and a 6-0 win in game two of the series in USA South Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon in Danville, Va.
GAME 1: Averett 7, Salem 4
Averett (15-10, 6-5 USA South) capitalized on 14 hits, 11 of which came from the top five hitters in the order, to earn a 7-4 victory in the opening game of the series with the Spirits.
Salem (5-18, 2-7 USA South) also reached double figures in hits (10), with the duo of Brianne Coleman (2-4, 2 RBI, double) and Madeline Brown (2-3) connecting on two hits each. Meanwhile, the combination of Madison Thomas, Arianna Ryan, Savanah Atkins, Faythe Bowles and Abby Shelton closed with one hit each.
Thomas also entered the circle for Salem, tossing 3.2 innings, where she allowed three runs on six hits and notched a strikeout. She was preceded by Katie Gerhard (1-4), to logged 2.1 innings, surrendered four runs and eight hits to the Cougars.
The Cougars broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a four-run fourth, highlighted by a pair of doubles from Lauren Johnston and Kourtnie Blankenship. The lead grew to 6-0 in the home half of the fourth after a two-out triple down the left field line by Anna Coleman, who scored teammates Chloe Horton and Emily Fugate.
Salem trimmed the margin to one, 5-4, with a four-run fifth inning of its own. Bowles reached on a single to short and moved to second following a sacrifice bunt by Shelton. Thomas brought Bowles homeward by reaching on a fielding error that also slid Kat Price to second.
Ryan loaded the bases with a single to right field and Coleman followed with a single of her own, also to right, which resulted in a 6-3 score after Thomas and Price scored a pair of unearned runs. Atkins brought the final run of the game home, in the form of Ryan, as Salem trailed 6-4.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the sixth, again by virtue of a triple by Coleman, who brought home Johnston from second.
GAME 2: Averett 6, Salem 0
Averett (16-10, 7-5 USA South) capped off the doubleheader with a 6-0 win in the second game, highlighted by a complete-game three-hitter by Taylor Sullivan. Sullivan finished off her performance with eight strikeouts and issued just one walk.
Two of Salem's hits came from Savanah Atkins (2-3), who connected on a double in the game. Also coming through with a hit for the Spirits (5-19, 2-8 USA South) was first year slugger Arianna Ryan, who was 1-for-3 at the plate.
Averett established a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI grounder by Lauren Johnston that brought home Chloe Horton. Angela Rodriguez brought home the second run, also on a ground out, before the Cougars pushed the lead to 3-0 when Emily Fugate scored on a wild pitch.
The Cougars extended their lead to 5-0 in the third with a pair of sacrifice flies by Fugate and Heather Heath. The final run crossed the plate in the fifth following a solo blast by Briana Battinelli over the centerfield wall.
Salem remains on the road for a doubleheader clash in Fayetteville, N.C., against Methodist on Tuesday, April 12th. Games are set for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.