BUIES CREEK, N.C.- Campbell blasted a season high 14 hits and Colin
Parker was masterful on the mound as the Camels handed North
Carolina Central a 10-1 loss, Tuesday night at Taylor Field. With the win
Campbell (10-17, 5-10 A-Sun) earns its fifth non-conference triumph
of the season, while NCCU falls for the third straight time and
moves to 6-18 overall.
Parker (1-0), a freshman from Princeton, N.C., picked up his first
career victory on the mound in decisive fashion, throwing 6 2/3
innings without allowing an earned run. The left-hander struck out six batters
and led the Camels staff who didn't surrender a walk in the
game.
Brandon Oatis (2-4) took the loss for the Eagles after allowing
three runs, two of which were earned, over two innings of
work. The freshman from
Matthews, N.C. struck out a batter but gave up three hits.
The middle of Campbell's order did the brunt of the work
offensively as Brandon Scott and Zach Johnson drove in a combined
four runs. Scott, who now
has sole possession of third place on Campbell's all-time stolen
bases list with 57 after swiping two bags in the contest, stroked
three hits, including a double, and also scored a run. Johnson was 2-for-4 with a run scored
as well.
Junior Ryan Hamme jumped into Campbell's record books after being
hit by two pitches. Hamme
has now been hit nine times this season, which ties him for tenth
with Tony Della Costa and Johnny Keelan on Campbell's single season
list with 29 regular season games left.
Campbell jumped out to an early 3-0 lead when Hamme reached base in
the third inning after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second
on an Oatis balk. Back-to-back-to-back RBI hits by Ellis Lowe,
Scott and Johnson plated three runners, giving Parker some
breathing room on the mound.
A
Scott RBI single up the middle gave Campbell a single run in the
fifth for what would turn out to be a precursor for a four run
seventh. After an RBI
single by Carlton Floyd, Hamme deflated the hopes of the Eagles
when he took Jeff Citero's first pitch offering down the right
field line for a two RBI double. Hamme now has 20 RBI this season
– one behind Scott's team-leading 21.
Two runs in the eighth highlighted by an Andrew Caron RBI double to
left-center solidified the Camels victory and finalized the score
at 10-1. The double marks
Caron's first of his career.
NCCU's only run of the game came in the seventh inning after
Campbell reliever Bryan Braswell had David Scott picked off at
first. An error by Lowe at
second base allowed Kyle Davis to score from third.
Headlining North Carolina Centrals batting order was Oliver
Jenkins. Jenkins, a junior
from Rocky Mount, N.C., went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double. David Scott was the only other
Eagle to have a multi-hit performance.
Campbell travels to Greenville, N.C. on Wednesday (April 2) to face
No. 24 East Carolina for the second time in as many weeks. The first pitch is slated for 6
p.m.
