Softball | 3/19/2014 10:15:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DANVILLE, Va. -- The Methodist softball team dropped a pair of games against Averett on Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Field. Game scores were 7-2 and 13-3, respectively.
 
In the opener, the Cougars got on the board first via a two-run double by Mary Beth Smith in the first inning to go ahead 2-0. The Monarchs tallied a run in the next half inning as Lindsay Tippett scored on an error to make it a 2-1 game.
 
Samantha Hall had a run-scoring single, and Emily Dunford added an RBI groundout to give Averett a 4-1 edge through two complete. Methodist tacked on its final run on game one on Christine Bowman's run-scoring groundout that plated Tippett to make it a 4-2 game. The Cougars scored the final three runs as Dunford drove in a pair, and Amy Hamlett plated another with a double.
 
Tippett went 1-for-1 with a walk and scored twice for the Monarchs, which finished game one with three hits. Amanda Dickson took the loss for Methodist as she went 3.1 innings. She gave up five runs on eight hits and struck out one.
 
Dunford batted 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored for Averett. Hall went 2-for-3, scored twice and stole two bases. Smith earned the complete-game victory as she pitched the full 7.0 innings. She surrendered two runs (1 ER) on three hits, four walks and struck out six.
 
Game two saw the Cougars (13-5, 7-1 USA South) score the first eight runs to assume an 8-0 advantage through two complete innings.
 
Methodist (5-16, 2-8 USA South) scored all of its runs in a three-run third inning to pull within 8-3. The Monarchs loaded the bases with no outs before a fielder's choice saw Savannah Upshaw forced out at home plate for the inning's first out. Allyson Aycock then reached on a fielding error that scored Morgan Prince. Following a flyout, Tanya Van Dyk singled to load the bases once more, and Marcy McKee drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8-3.
 
Averett countered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to push out to a 12-3 lead, and plated the day's final run in the fourth.
 
Williams went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored once for the Monarchs, and Van Dyk also batted 2-for-2. Nicole Heinrich was tagged with the loss for Methodist as she lasted 1.2 innings. She surrendered eight runs (2 ER) on eight hits and one walk.
 
Hall went 4-for-4 with two RBI, scored twice and stole a base for Averett, which finished game two with 15 base hits. Dunford batted 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base and scored three times. Meredith Rudisill went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and scored twice.
 
Starting pitcher Amy Hamlett earned the victory in the pitching circle as she threw 4.0 innings. She gave up three runs (1 ER) on six hits, three walks and struck out three.
 
Methodist returns to action at home on Friday in a doubleheader against Covenant. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 pm.