Box Score
DANVILLE, Va. — Down 15 runs early, it would have been easy for Averett to throw in the towel. Instead, the Cougars gathered themselves and made a huge comeback, only to fall just short in a 16-13 to Franklin & Marshall College on Friday at Owen-Fulton Field.
Trailing 16-6 entering its final at-bat, Averett (16-9) pieced together a seven-run rally thanks to five hits, a walk and an error. Three of those runs came on senior
Jake Loye's bases-clearing double to left-center field with two outs. The Cougars had two runners on base and the game-tying run at the plate before Franklin & Marshall reliever Brendan McCreary caught a soft line drive back to the mound to end the game.
The Cougars overcame a tough start. Franklin & Marshall (5-3-1) pounded out 10 of their 15 total hits in the first four innings en route to a 15-0 lead. However, Averett certainly helped the Diplomats with 11 walks and two hit batters during that span.
Averett plated six runs in the fifth inning to help get back in the game, and Cougars' reliever
Chris Moyer allowed just one run in the final 5.1 innings to give Averett a chance late.
Adam Higgins,
Eric Sibrizzi,
Kyle Newcomb and
Eric McGuire each finished with two hits apiece. Sibrizzi and Loye each added three runs batted in.
Averett returns to action on Saturday with a 3 p.m. conference game at Christopher Newport University.