Averett University baseball put together a four-run rally with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Cougars came up a run short of completing a comeback in an 11-10 conference loss to Methodist University on Friday afternoon at Owen-Fulton Field.
Down 11-6, senior Brandon Hatcher smacked a two-out double down the right field line. After a freshman Preston Robbins reached on an infield single to the left side put runners on the corners, Hatcher scored on an error at shortstop. Sophomore Brandt Brophy followed with an RBI single up the middle to score freshman Mason Williams, who had pinch-ran. With Averett (10-21, 4-9 USA South) trailing 11-8, another Methodist error loaded the bases for the Cougars. Freshman Cole McLain came through with a two-run single through the left side to get Averett within 11-10 with the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run at first.
Methodist (21-10, 11-2 USA South), however, got a hard ground ball to third base for an unassisted putout at third on the fielder's choice to end the game.
Back-to-back Methodist RBI hits gave the Monarchs a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Methodist added a run in the third and fourth innings to go up 4-0. After Averett got on the board with a sacrifice fly from senior Avery Spicer in the bottom of the fourth, Methodist tacked on three more runs in the fifth to extend its lead to 7-1.
Averett answered with Hatcher's two-run single in the fifth, and pulled within 7-4 on McLain's sixth-inning RBI single up the middle. Yet, Methodist once again extended its margin of lead with a three-run homer in the seventh, followed by an RBI double to make it 11-4.
Robbins answered with an RBI double and another Spicer sacrifice fly to stay within striking distance to set up the close finish.
Both teams combined for 21 runs and 28 hits in the marathon that lasted nearly three-and-a-half hours. Hatcher and Robbins each accounted for three hits, while junior Nolan Maccabe, Brophy and McLain each had two hits.
Methodist and Averett will finish off the series Saturday with a noon doubleheader.
Original source can be found here.
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