Danville, Va. - In this weekend's USA South baseball action, North Carolina Wesleyan and host Averett University split their two-game series in Danville. The Bishops earned a 20-13 victory in a high-scoring affair on Saturday, while the Cougars were 6-5 winners in a much closer contest on Sunday.

On Saturday, junior Jake Alexander led the Bishops offensively with a 4-for-5 showing at the plate with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Fellow junior Tyler Clark tallied three hits on the day, while sophomore Will Beasley connected on three-run double in the ninth.

Wesleyan had raced out to a 7-1 lead after three complete only to see Averett rally with a six-spot in the fifth to knot the score at 7-7. The Bishops went back on top in the sixth thanks to an RBI-single by Clark, and Wesleyan would eventually forge a 12-9 advantage entering the final frame.

In the ninth, NCWC looked to put to rest any thoughts of a comeback by plating eight runs, highlighted by Beasley's trio of RBIs. Little did the Bishops know that those runs would be needed as AU once again mounted a rally with four runs of their own for the 20-13 final.

Brandon Roberts (3-1) picked up the win for Wesleyan in four innings of relief work.

Looking for the sweep on Sunday, NCWC took a quick 1-0 lead in the first on a Clark groundout that scored Andre' Nichols, but the Cougars answered with the three-spot in their half of the frame. Wesleyan countered with three runs of their own in the second as Nichols, Alexander and Clark each drove in runs, putting the Bishops back on top 4-3.

Averett scored two in the fourth and one in the seventh for an eventual 6-4 lead entering the ninth. The Bishops made things interesting on a Clark RBI-single that placed runners on first and second with two outs. Down 6-5, however, the Cougars forced a pop-up to second base to end the threat and seal the victory.

Senior Kaleb Wessell (1-3) suffered the loss for NCWC, allowing five runs on six hits in 4.1 innings pitched.

Wesleyan (9-10, 1-3 USA South) returns to action on Wednesday when the Bishops host Penn-State Abington. The contest is slated for 3:00pm start at Bauer Field and kicks off a 10-game homestand for NCWC.