Bishops drop two to Averett in USA South baseball action

Rocky Mount, NC - With a 5-3 win on Sunday at Bauer Field, the Cougars of Averett University earned a two-game sweep of North Carolina Wesleyan in USA South baseball action. AU had previously downed Wesleyan on Saturday by an 8-2 score. The two losses leave the Bishops with a 17-14 overall record and 5-3 league mark, while the Cougars climb to 13-18-1 on the season and even their conference record at 4-4.

On Saturday, James Carter paced the Cougar offensive attack with a 4-for-4 showing at the plate, including two RBI and a run scored, while Jake Loye was 2-for-4 with four driven in. Starting pitcher Ben Hildreth (5-4) earned the victory, allowing just one unearned run on three hits in five complete.

Sophomore Justin Diener (1-3) took the loss for NCWC, giving up four runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. Joel Creef, Justin Batts, and Justin Rahm had two hits apiece for the Battling Bishops.

AU's Loye struck again on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with two homeruns and three RBI. His second blast erased a one-run deficit in the sixth and put the Cougars on top for good.

Wesleyan starter Jon Lucas (1-3) took the loss on the mound, giving up five runs on seven hits over five complete.  He also walked one and struck out three. Jonathan Shearon, Max Knowles, Andrew Webb, and John Child combined to throw four scoreless innings for the Bishops in relief.

Cougar starter Chase Hall (2-2) also went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits.  John Walker earned his first save of the season by shutting down the Bishops over the final four frames.

For NCWC, Zollie Woodlief, Pat Laffin, and Daniel Moore each had two hits. One of Woodlief's hits was a two-run homer in the fifth that gave the Bishops a brief 3-2 advantage.

Earlier in the week, the Bishops dropped a 7-4 contest to Barton College at Fleming Stadium. BC's Wesley Francis and Jonathan Nichols went a combined 7-for-7 at the plate for the Bulldogs, while Will Johnson added a key two-run homerun in the fifth that broke a 2-2 tie.

NCWC cut the deficit to 4-3 when Zach Alexander led off the seventh inning with a home run to left field, his second of the year. Barton (21-13), however, pulled away with three runs in the bottom of the frame and proceeded to cruise to the three-run victory.

Barton starter Matt Watson scattered five hits and allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings of work to collect the win and improve to 2-2 on the season. Starter Max Knowles suffered his first loss of the year in five decisions for the Battling Bishops, giving up seven runs on 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Alexander had three hits to pace Wesleyan, which entered the game having won five straight and 13 of its last 14. Daniel Moore added two hits and two RBI.

Wesleyan returns to action on Wednesday afternoon when the Bishops host a USA South doubleheader with Greensboro College. Game one is slated for 1:00 p.m. start at Bauer Field.
 

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