DANVILLE, Va. - Shenandoah University earned its first USA South Conference doubleheader sweep since the 1998 season Friday afternoon with 8-3 and 5-1 victories at Averett University.

The sweep of the Lady Cougars (7-14, 2-4 USA South) gives SU (8-10, 2-4) a sweep of a twinbill for the first time since the Hornets downed AU on March 14, 1998 in Winchester. The team has played 52 conference series before getting two wins Friday afternoon.

SU got the game one victory on the strength of a six-run first inning. The Hornets had just three hits off of AU starter Brittany Estep, but two Lady Cougars errors led to five of the runs being unearned.

Averett got back in with three runs in the third off of Katie Haskins (3-6), but two Shenandoah runs in the top of the fourth allowed the visitors to coast home to the victory.

Senior Alicia Sanders , sophomore Kristen Templeton and freshman Jolisa Jones all had two hits in four at-bats with Catherine Beuerledriving in three runs and Templeton two.

Game two was much closer, but SU seized control with a four-run fifth. Sanders had the big hit in the frame with a two-run single up the middle - she plated both Lauren Wall and Ashley Ballentine with the winning and insurance runs.

Freshman AJ Lekki improved to 4-3 by allowing one run (unearned) on two hits in four innings. Haskins pitched a scoreless rest of the way to earn the save.

Box Scores 

Shenandoah looks to continue its winning ways tomorrow afternoon with a USA South Conference doubleheader at Ferrum.