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Campbell University

Baseball

Baseball Drops Pair of 10-Run Decisions to Jacksonville, 11-1 and 13-3

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville (20-17, 5-6 A-Sun) used big innings and big individual performances to sweep a Good Friday doubleheader from Campbell (7-26, 2-9 A-Sun) by scores of 11-1 in a mercy-ruled first game and 13-3 in the nightcap at Alexander Brest Field.

Justin Lilly (0-3) took the loss in the first game, pitching five-plus innings allowing six earned runs on 10 hits. Justin Young (4-3) limited the Camels to one run on three hits in picking up the win in the seven-inning first game. Brandon Scott (0-2) took the loss in game two giving up six earned runs in three innings of work, while Matt Gardner (4-2) threw five innings of five-hit ball to pick up the victory for JU. Tim Brown picked up his first save of the year by throwing four innings of effective relief.

Jacksonville was in control from the beginning of the first game, plating three first-inning runs. Three straight hits to start the frame and an RBI single by Thomas LePage staked JU to an early 3-0 lead.

The Dolphins matched the first with another three-spot in the fourth inning. LePage scored on a Logan James tapper to the catcher Todd Matthews to start the scoring and was followed by a Chuck Opachich run scoring error and a Pete Clifford RBI-single to expand the JU lead to 6-1.

JU put the Camels away with a five-run sixth inning. The offensive display by the Dolphins forced the Camels to go through three pitchers in the inning, as JU plated their five runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batsman.

Daniel Smith extended a streak in game one in which he reached base in seven straight plate appearances. The sophomore was five for his last five and had upped his average nearly 60 points in the previous four games. Carlton Floyd knocked in the only Camel tally of the game, scoring Zach Johnson with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Johnson, Smith and Scott accounted for the three Camel hits in the opening contest.

The top third of the Dolphin lineup hurt the Camels as Kevin Ferreira, Opachich and Clifford combined to go 8-12 with seven runs scored and five RBI. LePage was a tough out in game one, adding a career-high four hits to the game one Dolphin effort.

The Dolphins landed the first and most important blow of game two in the third inning, as two one-out walks, a single and a strikeout led to a bases loaded, two-out showdown with JU's leading hitter in Clifford. Scott and Clifford battled through a 10-pitch at-bat to a full count before Clifford launched a grand slam off the scoreboard in right to give JU all the runs it would need. Things snowballed from there as two doubles and an RBI single plated two more runs to give JU a 6-0 lead after three frames.

The Camels added an unearned run in the fourth, as Ryan Hamme scored on a Mike Causey single to make a small chip in the Dolphin lead. After JU got the run back in bottom half, Matthews got the Camels within one swing of the bat in the fifth as the sophomore belted his third home run of the year, a two-run shot, to cut the Dolphin lead to 7-3

That would be as close as the Camels would get, as JU added six insurance runs in the bottom the eighth as the first seven Dolphins reached off Campbell pitchers Chris England and Hunter Ford. Matt Lopez's two-RBI single highlighted the inning in which the Dolphins sent 10 men to the plate.

Ferreira was the catalyst in game two for the Dolphins as he went 3-4 with two RBIs, giving him a 6-8, four-run day. Clifford's grand slam in the third proved to be his only hit of the second game, but it still gave the senior four hits and eight RBIs on the afternoon, as he set a career-high RBI mark with five in the nightcap. LePage rapped out three more hits in game two as he had a nearly perfect doubleheader, finishing the day 7-8 with four RBIs.

Hamme led the Camel sticks in game two with a 2-4 showing, as Matthews' home run and Causey's RBI single accounted for the remainder of the Camel offense. Matthews, Hamme and Scott all had two hits on the day for Campbell.

The Dolphins and Camels wrap up their series Saturday afternoon back at Alexander Brest Field. First pitch for game three is set for 1:00.

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Players Mentioned

Chris England

#38 Chris England

RHP
6' 1"
Senior
Hunter Ford

#10 Hunter Ford

LHP
5' 10"
Freshman
Matt Gardner

#16 Matt Gardner

INF
5' 8"
Redshirt
Ryan Hamme

#14 Ryan Hamme

1B/RHP
6' 3"
Sophomore
Todd Matthews

#22 Todd Matthews

C
5' 8"
Sophomore
Daniel Smith

#2 Daniel Smith

INF/OF
5' 9"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Chris England

#38 Chris England

6' 1"
Senior
RHP
Hunter Ford

#10 Hunter Ford

5' 10"
Freshman
LHP
Matt Gardner

#16 Matt Gardner

5' 8"
Redshirt
INF
Ryan Hamme

#14 Ryan Hamme

6' 3"
Sophomore
1B/RHP
Todd Matthews

#22 Todd Matthews

5' 8"
Sophomore
C
Daniel Smith

#2 Daniel Smith

5' 9"
Sophomore
INF/OF