BUIES CREEK, N.C. After a weekend in which Campbell (21-17,
5-12 A-Sun) failed to reach 10 runs in a game or hit a home run,
they did both en route to a doubleheader sweep over NC Central
(5-26).
Campbell took game one at Taylor Field by a score of 15-5, while
winning game two 18-0.
Tuesday's contest
between the Camels and the Eagles was the second and third meetings
of the season between the two schools. With the doubleheader sweep, Campbell
swept the season series 3-0.
Campbell 15, NC
Central 5 (DH Game 1)
Campbell appeared
to have lingering effects after being swept by Jacksonville on
Saturday as they gave up four runs in the first inning to the
Eagles. However, the
effects would quickly wear off as Campbell would post 15 runs over
the first four innings.
Down 4-0 in the
bottom of the first inning, Campbell got the scoring started when
Ellis Lowe (San Diego, Calif.) scored on an Alex Aycoth (Sanford,
Fla.) sacrifice fly. With
two outs, Ryan Hamme (Wilmington, N.C.) came in to score when Zach
Johnson (Smithfield, N.C.) reached on a throwing error by NCCU
shortstop David Scott.
Brian Gana (Richland, Wash.) followed with a two-run home run to
left center field; with Johnson and Gana touching home plate
Campbell tied the game at 4-4.
Campbell
complimented the four run first inning with a four run second
inning. D.J. Johnson
(Winston-Salem, N.C.) got the second inning scoring started when he
scored on an RBI single by Chris Bangi (Jacksonville, Fla.). Chris Bangi scored later in the
inning on a double steal that allowed Ryan Hamme to advance to
second. Campbell posted two
more runs when Matt Keen (Four Oaks, N.C.) singled to center field,
allowing both Ryan Hamme and Alex Aycoth to score.
With Campbell
already leading 8-4, they extended their lead to seven runs thanks
to another solid inning.
The Camels pushed their lead to 11-4 thanks to a Zach Johnson home
run to left field, allowing Ryan Hamme and Alex Aycoth to trot
around the bases.
Carlton Floyd
(Riegelwood, N.C.) got the call on the bump for game one. The senior pitched just
one-third of an inning giving up four hits while four runs came in
to score.
Hunter Ford
(Wilmington, N.C.) relieved Floyd and picked up his third win of
the season. Ford (3-2)
pitched 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit while facing 11
batters.
Already leading by
seven, Campbell would extend its lead to 11, after scoring four
runs in the fourth inning.
All four of the runs came in to score on an Ellis Lowe grand
slam. Lowe's fifth home run
of the season allowed Matt Keen, D.J. Johnson, and Graham Fronk
(Charlotte, N.C.) to score.
NCCU pushed one
run across in the top of the seventh inning to make the final
margin 15-5.
Richie Gaito
(Cliffside Park, N.J.) and Ethan Meiggs (Camden, N.C.) closed out
the game for Campbell.
Gaito pitched two complete innings giving up three hits while
fanning three batters.
Meiggs pitched the final frame, allowing just one hit and one
run.
Campbell 18, NC
Central 0 (DH Game 2)
Campbell picked up
right where it left off in game one as they scored in four of the
six frames of game two against the Eagles.
In the bottom of
the second, Zach Johnson scored the first run of the game on a Josh
Holskey (Roanoke, Va.) single up the middle. Holskey later came around to score and
Bryan Braswell (Rocky Mount, N.C.) gave the Camels a 3-0 lead when
he scored on a fielder's choice.
Alex Aycoth
started the scoring in the third when he scored on a Josh Holskey
single. Campbell scored two
runs in the inning on bases loaded walks. Those three runs were complimented by
Kevin Nelson RBI single and a ground out RBI by Ellis Lowe. After three innings Campbell
owned an 8-0 lead.
Campbell posted
eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the Camels a
16-0 lead. The highlight of
the fifth inning was a Chaz Sessoms (Rockingham, N.C.) grand
slam. Sessoms, who sent his
first career home run over the left field wall, brought Carlton
Floyd, Graham Fronk and Blake Lowry (Garner, N.C.) around to
score. Sessoms is the fifth
Campbell player to hit a grand slam this season.
Campbell used
Parker Fleming (Lexington, S.C.) on the hill in game two and the
freshman did not disappoint. Fleming pitched five complete innings,
giving up just four hits while fanning six batters. The six strikeouts by Fleming ties a
career best that he set earlier this season in the first meeting
between the Camels and the Eagles at the Durham Bulls Athletic
Park.
Campbell posted
two more runs in the home half of the sixth inning to push its lead
to 18-0. Josh Fish
(Bellingham, Wash.) and Jonathon Lopez (Vineland, N.J.) closed out
game two against the Eagles. The pair combined for three strikeouts
while allowing zero hits and zero runs.
Campbell will
continue its homestand this weekend when they host conference foe
Stetson. Friday's
doubleheader at Taylor Field is slated to begin at 4 p.m., while
Saturday's single game will begin at 1 p.m.