Cougars Sweep Series with Bishops at Bauer Field

Luis Palencia
Luis Palencia

Rocky Mount, N.C. - In USA South baseball action, Averett University got complete games in Saturday's opener and Monday's finale to secure a three-game sweep of N.C. Wesleyan at Bauer Field. Sophomore Luis Palencia paced Wesleyan offensively by going 6-for-12 with a pair of stolen bases, but it would not be enough to counter a Cougar offense that plated 18 runs during the series.

AU was able to tally a 3-1 win in Saturday's opener behind a complete-game performance from Taylor Davis. Sunday's inclement weather proceeded to set up a Monday afternoon doubleheader that saw the Cougars survive late Bishop rallies in both games.

After opening up a 7-2 lead entering the fifth inning of game one, Averett watched the Bishops put up a four-spot in the sixth that featured RBIs by Brad Guengerich, Palencia and Ciro Norzagaray. AU added an insurance run on a passed ball in the eighth, and it proved to be the eventual gamewinner after Guengerich drove in another run in the ninth that made the score 8-7. Unfortunately, Wesleyan stranded the tying runner at third, its 11th of the game.

The Bishops looked to avoid a sweep in the finale and took a 3-2 edge into the seventh. Averett countered with five runs over the seventh and eighth, and while the Bishops scratched a pair of scores on an RBI-double by J.J. Rodriguez and solo homer by James Lovett in their final two at-bats, NCWC would come up just short in a 7-5 defeat. T.J. Viracola went the distance for the Cougars.

The Bishops (2-8, 2-7 USA South) host a non-conference twinbill with Christopher Newport University on Wednesday, featuring two 7-inning contests. First pitch of game one is slated for 1:00pm at Bauer Field.