DANVILLE, Va. – Senior Kaitlyn Aherron led host Averett University past visiting Greensboro College Sunday in a USA South Athletic Conference softball doubleheader. Aherron’s first-inning homer gave the Cougars a 1-0 opening-game win and her complete-game five-hitter helped the hosts take game two, 6-1.
The losses ended Greensboro’s four-game winning streak and dropped the Pride to 24-9 (7-5 USA South). Averett improved to 13-13 overall (8-4 USA South) with the Senior Day sweep.
Averett jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind first-inning RBIs from Hannah Thompson and Anna Coleman.
Greensboro made it a 2-1 game on Ivy Ray’s RBI single in the third, but Averett answered with four unearned runs in the bottom of the frame. Three straight one-out singles loaded the bases and chased Pride starter Kassie Simmons (8-4). Reliever Jenna Endsley entered and recorded the inning’s second out on a Chloe Horton groundout. The next batter, Lauren Johnston, reached on an error that kept the inning alive and allowed two runs to score. Averett’s Casey Cook later delivered a two-run single that capped the game’s scoring.
Caroline Stanley had two hits and scored Greensboro’s run in game two. Ray, Alexis Newman, and Macy Brewer added singles for the Pride.
Aherron improved to (5-6) on the season with her team-leading seventh compete-game of the year. Averett’s Thompson, Coleman, and Cameron Stamm each had two hits.
The Cougars’ Taylor Sullivan outdueled Greensboro’s Cheyanne Cox in the opener. Aherron’s first-inning home run was all the offense Sullivan (5-3) needed. Sullivan worked around four Greensboro hits, issued three walks, and fanned five. The Pride put runners on second base in five of seven innings but could not advance any further. Greensboro’s Alexis Sox led off the seventh with a double, but Sullivan stranded her there by fanning two of the next three batters to end the game.
After Aherron’s one-out homer in the first, Greensboro’s Cox retired nine of the next 10 batters. She kept the Cougars at bay until Averett loaded the bases with two out in the fifth. Cox got Thompson to fly out and end the inning.
Greensboro’s Sox had a game-high two hits. Simmons and Ray had the Pride’s other hits. Cox (14-6) yielded five hits with three walks and six strikeouts for Greensboro.
Sunday’s setbacks marked the end of Greensboro’s regular season.
Courtesy of Dave Walters, in for Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director