BUIES CREEK, N.C.- Wes Edwards and Hunter Ford elevated Campbell to
its first shutout of the season, allowing just one hit en route to
a 4-0 victory over the visiting North Carolina A&T Aggies,
Tuesday night at Taylor Field. Campbell (15-22, 8-13 A-Sun), who was
one-hit by the Aggies in its last meeting on March 18, has won
three consecutive games and four of its last five contests.
Edwards (1-2), a freshman from Rochester, N.Y., silenced the bats
of NCA&T allowing just one runner to reach second base all
night. The 6-foot-4 right
hander picked up his first collegiate victory after allowing just
one hit over 5 1/3 innings, while striking out three batters. The outing also marked Edwards'
first career start.
Ford picked up right where Edwards led off snatching his
team-leading second save of the season. The sophomore from
Wilmington, N.C. struck out three Aggie batters and didn't allow a
hit in 3 2/3 innings of work. Ford and Edwards combined to walk just
three hitters in the game.
Chris Eggers (1-5) had a solid outing for NCA&T but suffered
the loss after allowing four runs over six innings pitched. Eggers struck out three batters
but walked one and hit three more.
Ryan Hamme and Zach Johnson paced the Camels offense grabbing two
hits apiece, including three extra base hits. Hamme was 2-for-2 with a double and a
run scored, while Johnson went 2-for-3 with a double and his first
career homer.
Nick Mayo, a senior from Winston-Salem, N.C., squeaked a single
past Campbell's second baseman in the third inning making him the
only NCA&T player to collect a hit in the contest.
It
didn't take long for the Fighting Camels to get on the board as a
double off the right-center wall by Hamme and a bunt single to
third base from Ellis Lowe set the stage for a two run first
inning. After both runners
advanced on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Carlton Floyd, an
infield single by Brandon Scott plated Hamme and an overthrow by
Aggie second baseman James Howard allowed Lowe to score, giving
Campbell an early 2-0 advantage.
Campbell finally got to Eggers in the sixth after he shut the
Camels down for four consecutive innings. After Gana was hit by a pitch and
advanced on a Mike Causey sac bunt, a two-out single into shallow
right field from Bryan Braswell lengthened Campbell's lead to
3-0.
With no one out in the seventh inning, Johnson forced Eggers out of
the game as he took his 3-2 pitch and drove it deep over the left
field wall finalizing the score in favor of Campbell 4-0.
Campbell improves its all-time record against NCA&T to 14-2,
despite losing the first meeting this season 6-1.
Scott swiped his 20th bag of the season, which puts him
eight stolen bases away from overtaking Nic Carter as Campbell's
all-time leader in the category.
Campbell concludes its five game homestand when it hosts the Duke
Blue Devils tomorrow night (April 16) at Taylor Field. The first pitch is slated for 7
p.m.