Averett Earns Split with Hornets

WINCHESTER, Va. - Behind a three-hit pitching performance by Gene Yost, the Averett University baseball team defeated Shenandoah University by an 8-1 final Saturday in game one of a USA South Conference double-header at Winchester, VA. However, the Cougars committed five errors in game two and dropped that contest by a 12-10 finish. It was the conference openers for both teams.

In the first game, Averett (6-4, 1-1 USA South) scored their first run on a solo homerun by J.T. Hyler in the second inning. They added a second in the third, before scoring three runs in the fifth inning. Ben Rezeli singled through the left side and later scored on an error. Eddie Guessford and Kevin Bundy each added RBIs in the inning to push the lead to 5-1. Averett tacked on three more in the seventh inning, including a Guessford homer, for the final 8-1 margin.

Mike Cassidy, Guessford and Hyler all had two hits in the opener. Yost (2-1) struck out nine in seven innings of work.

The Cougars jumped out to another big lead in the second game, as they scored five runs in the second inning. However, Shenandoah answered with a four run third inning to draw within 5-4. Yost hit a double in the fourth inning that scored Cassidy and Guessford scored on a Kevin Bundy RBI for a 7-4 advantage.

The lead went to 9-4 in the fifth on back-to-back homers by Guessford and Yost, but a pair of unearned runs for the Hornets in the bottom half of the frame kept them within striking distance at 9-6.

Each team added a run in the seventh, while Shenandoah lit up the Cougars for five runs in the eighth for the 12-10 win.

Guessford and Yost each went 4-for-5 in the contest. Guessford batted in three runs, while Yost drove home four. Kenny Payne fanned nine batters in six innings of work, while giving up six runs. Drake Shumate took the loss, but only allowed one earned run.

Averett returns to action on Sunday when they play the third and final game of the series with Shenandoah at 1 p.m.

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