MACON, Ga.-Lauren Caviness struck out
a combined 16 batters leading Campbell to two-game sweep of Mercer
2-0 and 4-2 Friday night at the Bears' Sikes Field. The junior
southpaw moved into a tie for fourth place all-time in Campbell
history with 40 career victories.
Sophomore Karlie Love
delivered a two-out two-run single in the bottom of the fourth for
the lone runs of game one lifting the Camels (23-27-1, 5-5 A-Sun)
to the 2-0 victory. CU used a three-run fourth inning and a home
run by Courtney Quinn in game two to complete the sweep.
In the opener, Shayla
Cullum and Hilary Wheatley led off the fourth with back-to-back
singles; the first base knocks of the game for the Camels.
Following a pair of
outs, Jessica Huffman drew her team leading 24th walk to
load up the bases setting up the stage for the sophomore Love. The
Campbell first baseman took the Stephanie Rossman pitch into left
field scoring Wheatley and Quinn, who reached on a fielder's
choice.
Campbell got out of a
jam in the second inning after allowing the first two batters on
the inning to reach on a single and an error. Caviness responded
striking out the next two batters and then CU got CJ Martin out at
home trying to score on a fielder's choice.
The Bears (7-31, 0-2)
left another pair of runners on base in the third on a pair of
walks, but Caviness answered back with her fourth strikeout of the
game.
Caviness (12-14)
improved her A-Sun record to 4-3 with the victories in both games.
She struck out eight in each game and allowed just three hits in
the opener and four in game two. Caviness now has 159 strikeouts on
the season pulling her to within seven of tying the Campbell
single-season record of 166 which she set last season. Last week
Caviness set the Campbell career strikeout record and now sits with
428.
Rossman (2-8) took the
loss for the Bears despite allowing just three hits in seven
innings. She allowed both runs, walked five and striking out
five.
The Camels threatened
in the bottom of the first inning of the nightcap with Huffman
advancing to third with just one out, but April Cunningham struck
out Campbell's next two batters to end the threat.
Huffman stole second base in both the first and third innings
giving her 37 on the season bringing her within one of the Campbell
single-season record. Earlier this year she took over the CU career
record and now sits at 107.
Mercer put a pair of
runners on base in the bottom of the third with just one out for
the number two and three hitters in the lineup. Caviness came back
and struck out both Kelley Bretscher and Jamie Madruga to end the
inning; Mandruga entered the series leading the A-Sun with a .419
batting average.
The Camels took a 3-0
lead in the bottom of the fourth taking advantage of a pair of
Mercer errors and three base hits. Quinn led off the inning drawing
a walk and moving to second on a sac bunt by Love. Olivia Ghiselli
singled and moved to second on a throwing error by the left fielder
moving Quinn to third. Wheatley plated the first run of the inning
for the Camels laying down a squeeze bunt scoring Quinn.
Stephenie Pappas pushed
across the second run on another squeeze this time scoring
Ghiselli.
Wheatley scored the final run of the inning on a throwing error by
the Bears' shortstop tying to throw out a speedy Megan Paul at
first who had already reached the base for an infield single. Paul
finished the game 2-for-3 from the plate and was the only Camel to
register more than one hit in the doubleheader.
Quinn extended the
Campbell lead to 4-0 with her fifth home run of the season in the
fifth inning off of Rossman, who started the inning in relief for
Cunningham.
Madruga brought Mercer
to within a pair of runs at 4-2 with her 10th home run
of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bretscher led off
the inning drawing a walk.
The Bears put a pair of
runners on with just one out in the bottom of the seventh with a
single and a Campbell error. Caviness struck out Martin for the
second out of the inning, but Bretscher kept the game alive loading
the bases reaching on another Camel error. Caviness came right back
and struck out Madruga to end the game.
Cunningham (2-13) took
the loss allowing three runs, just one earned, scattering three
hits over four innings. Rossman just gave up the home run to Quinn
in her three innings of relief work.
The Camels continue
their A-Sun road trip tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader at
Kennesaw State (30-14, 4-2) beginning at 1:00 pm. The Owls swept
preseason favorite Stetson this evening moving into second place in
the league behind Lipscomb (22-16-1, 7-2-1).