College Softball Finals – Guilford 1-8, Averett 4-7

DANVILLE, Va. – Makayla Crawford’s ninth-inning home run gave visiting Guilford College an 8-7 softball win at Averett University and a split of Friday’s doubleheader. The Cougars won the opener, 4-1.

The Quakers (9-4) carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but Averett (5-11) tied the game when Ashley Carbajal scored on a wild pitch.

Guilford put up three runs in the top of the eighth inning on RBI hits by Laura Thompson, Sarah Adams, and Makayla Carver. Averett rallied, however, as Taylor Hodges, Brianna Harris, and Nicole Cauthen delivered RBIs in the bottom of the frame to tie the score for the third time.

After Crawford’s team-leading sixth homer of the season scored Darby Kozan and put the Quakers ahead by two, Guilford sent rookie Katie McNeill out to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning. Carbajal doubled down the left-field line to score pinch runner Shelby Couzzi, who was placed on second according to the international tie-break rule. McNeill worked around a two-out walk to Breanna Murphy for her second save of the season.

Carver and Morgan Wolfe both had three hits to pace the Quakers’ 15-hit performance. Adams, Thompson, and Katy Holt each added two hits and an RBI. Courtney Lackey (6-2) fanned six in eight innings and earned the win.

Carbajal’s three doubles and two RBI led Averett’s offense. Taylor Bailey (2-3) threw into the ninth inning and yielded eight runs, six of which were earned. She also had two strikeouts.

Averett’s Kaitlyn Aherron (2-6) fanned seven, did not walk a batter and yielded only four hits in the complete-game victory. She gave up a third-inning home run to Guilford’s Savannah Yale in the complete-game win for Averett in the opener. After Andrea Grant homered in the fourth to tie the game, the Cougars plated three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning off of Carver (1-2).

Mackenzie Collins smacked three of Averett’s eight hits in the game and scored once. Grant went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Weather permitting, coach Dennis Shores’ Quakers host Wilson College Sunday (3/11) at 1 p.m. on Haworth Field.