DANVILLE, Va. – Brent Kinsey hit a home run for LaGrange but Averett came away with an 8-3 win in a USA South game Sunday at Owen-Fulton Field.

The Panthers are 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the USA South. The Cougars evened their conference record at 2-2 and upped their overall record to 5-2.

Doug Scherer (1-1) started and pitched six innings for the Panthers. He allowed six runs but only three were earned. Scherer scattered 10 hits, struck out seven and walked two.

Trailing 5-0 in the fifth, the Panthers got on the scoreboard with a run. Blake Schuck reached on an infield single to lead off the inning. He moved up when Brandon Espinosa was hit by a pitch and later scored on a wild pitch.

Kinsey brought the Panthers within three runs in the seventh. He hit his first home run and team's first of the season with Brandon Key on board off Ben Florence (2-0). Key had led off the inning with a single.

The Panthers had six hits in the game. Kinsey and Schuck each had two hits.

The two teams will finish the three-game series with a doubleheader Monday beginning at 11:30 p.m.