Buena Vista, Va. — The Southern Virginia University baseball team dropped its home opener Thursday afternoon, falling to the Cougars of Averett University.

The Knights found themselves trailing early after Averett plated four runs in the second inning. Southern Virginia responded in the third to even the score. Ryan Farris and Brooks Burdette sparked the rally with a pair of singles, and Conner Robley reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases for Seth Lloyd. Lloyd delivered with a double to left-center field that scored two runs. Robley later came home on a wild pitch, and Lloyd crossed the plate on an RBI groundout to tie the game at 4–4.

Averett quickly regained momentum, scoring four runs in the following inning to retake control of the contest.

The Knights added their final run in the sixth inning when Burdette lifted a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to bring in a run, but Southern Virginia could not close the gap as the Cougars pulled away for a 14–5 victory.

Averett capitalized on opportunities throughout the game, collecting 13 hits while the Knights pitching staff issued 18 walks.

Despite the result, several Southern Virginia relievers delivered solid outings, as Javari Christopher, Braedyn Houck, and Gavin Pittman each recorded scoreless appearances out of the bullpen.

Southern Virginia returns to action with a busy stretch, playing three games over the next two days beginning with a matchup against Johnson & Wales on Friday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m.

For the latest updates on Southern Virginia University baseball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_bsb on Instagram.