BATON ROUGE, La. – The Prairie View A&M Panthers opened Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional play on a positive note Friday, winning 8-2 at Southern.
 
The Panthers drew three consecutive bases-loaded walks in the top of the first inning, which was all Prairie View A&M's starting pitcher Alberto Aveytia needed to lead the visitors to the win.
 
Prairie View A&M (3-6) is now 1-0 in the SWAC's West Division standings. Southern remained winless on the season, falling to 0-4.
 
Aveytia struck out four batters and allowed only three hits over six and two-thirds innings to pick up his first win of the season. Grant Dougherty pitched struck out two batters over two and one-thirds innings of scoreless relief to earn the save.
 
Dougherty started the game in right field and also picked up two RBIs at the plate. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning, then helped ignite a four-run eighth with a suicide squeeze bunt that scored Cody Den Beste.
 
Kevin Macias went 1-for-3 with three RBIs to lead the Panthers at the plate. Macias was one of three hitters to draw an RBI walk in the first inning. In the eighth inning, Macias knocked a two-RBI triple that scored Darrien Williams and Connor Wrye
 
Wrye and Joseph Mack also drew bases-loaded walks in the first inning. Williams added an RBI single in the eighth that scored Walter Wells.
 
The Panthers conclude their series at Southern on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon.