LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team scored 18 runs in the first four innings in its 19-2 win over Averett on Wednesday evening.
 
The Generals improve to 3-0 on the season, as the win earns them a three-game sweep of Averett. The Cougars fall to 0-3 overall with the loss.
 
W&L set the tone early with a four-run first inning from their first five hitters. Junior left fielder Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison) tripled home a run, before scoring on a sacrifice fly from senior second baseman Chapin Bassi (Concord, N.H./St. Paul's School). Junior center fielder Mitchell Salvino (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) then blasted a two-run home run to left for his second long ball of the year.
 
After a scoreless second, the Generals struck for seven runs in both the third and fourth innings. Junior third baseman Luke Erdmann (Vienna, Va./James Madison) knocked in a pair of runs on a double in the third, and sophomore shortstop Zach Senders (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) and sophomore catcher Jaden Keuhner (Aldie, Va./John Champe) each had two-RBI knocks in the fourth. Senders legged out a triple to center, while Keuhner's knock was a single to right.
 
The Generals scored their final run in the fifth inning on a single through the left side from sophomore second baseman Jacob Jackson (Norfolk, Va./Maury). Junior center fielder Nolan Maccabe put Averett on the board in the top of the seventh with a two-run double down the right field line.
 
Erdmann led the W&L offense with three hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Perkins, Keuhner and sophomore designated hitter Drew Larsen (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) all had two hits and combined for six runs scored and four RBI. Senders tied Erdmann with a team-high three RBI, and he also scored twice.
 
Maccabe went 1-for-4 at the plate with his seventh-inning two-run double. The Cougars were limited to just five hits in the game and did not get into the hit column until a single from senior designated hitter Avery Spicer in the top of the fourth.
 
First-year right-hander John Benner (McLean, Va./St. Albans) (1-0) started and earned the win for the Generals after he pitched four scoreless innings and allowed just two hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Benner pitched a perfect first inning with three strikeouts, and he went on to strikeout one batter in each subsequent inning of work.
 
Five W&L relievers pitched one inning each to close the game, and they combined for three hits allowed, two unearned runs, three walks and four strikeouts.
 
Junior righty David Asbill (0-1) was the pitcher of record for the Cougars, as he lasted two innings and allowed five earned runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Averett needed four pitchers to get through the next two innings, as they allowed 12 earned runs.
 
The Generals will return to the diamond on Saturday when they take on Brevard in a 1:00 pm road game.