HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Campbell took both
games of Monday's doubleheader from the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M
at Bulldog Field. Campbell improves to 27-21
on the season as Head Coach Greg Goff recorded his 200th
career coaching victory in the game two win.
Alabama A&M, with the two losses, dips to 14-27 on the
season.
Campbell 23, Alabama A&M 2
(DH Game 1)
Campbell jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a hot start by
the top of the order. In the first inning
Chris Bangi (Jacksonville, Fla.) led off with a single followed by
a double by Ellis Lowe (San Diego, Calif.).
Both Bangi and Lowe scored on a double down the right field line by
Ryan Hamme (Wilmington, N.C.). Hamme scored
on an RBI groundout by third baseman Alex Aycoth (Sanford,
Fla.).
The Camels continued to swing a hot stick as they posted six runs
in the top of the second inning. With the
bases loaded, Chris Bangi hit a sacrifice fly to center field which
allowed Josh Holskey (Roanoke, Va.) to cross home plate. Stephen Parsons (Chesapeake, Va.) and D.J.
Johnson came in to score when Ellis Lowe tripled to left
field.
Lowe advanced 90 feet for his second run of the game when Ryan
Hamme singled through the right side. Zach
Johnson (Smithfield, N.C.) singled to left field and advanced all
the way to third on an error by the Bulldogs center fielder; the
single allowed Hamme to score and extend the Camels lead to
8-0. Johnson scored the final run of the
inning on a sacrifice fly by Alex Aycoth.
Campbell broke the game wide open as it extended its lead to 16-1
by scoring four runs in the third and three runs in the fifth. Just one AAMU runner came in to score over the
same stretch.
Highlighting the four run third inning was a two RBI double by
Chris Bangi, which allowed Stephen Parsons and D.J. Johnson to
score. The three run third inning was capped
off by a two run home run by designated hitter Josh Holskey. Holskey's home run was the second of the season
for the first year Camel and allowed Graham Fronk (Charlotte, N.C.)
to score. Also highlighting the fourth
inning was Thomas Valenza (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who recorded his
first hit in a Campbell uniform.
Campbell, already leading by 15, pushed its lead to 22 thanks to a
seven run fifth inning. The Camels scored
two of the runs on bases loaded walk and a bases loaded hit by
pitch. Campbell scored two more runs on an
Alex Aycoth double to right field. The rest
of the runs were scored on RBI singles by D.J. Johnson, Ellis Lowe
and Josh Holskey.
Alabama A&M pushed a single run across in the bottom of the
sixth to set the final score at 23-2.
Sophomore Colin Parker (Princeton, N.C.) started the game on the
mound for the Camels. Parker (2-0) recorded
the victory after he pitched four complete innings giving up three
hits as one unearned run scored. The
southpaw struck out three batters, while walking just one.
Parker would be relieved by right-hander Richie Gaito (Cliffside
Park, N.J). Gaito pitched the final three
innings of the seven inning contest. Gaito
recorded his first career save after allowing just one run on three
hits, with two strikeouts over the final three innings. Gaito struck out the final batter he faced to end the
game.
Campbell had a host of leaders at the plate in game one. Chris Bangi finished 2-for-2 at the plate with
three RBI and two runs scored. Ellis Lowe,
who finished a home run shy of the cycle, finished with three hits,
four RBI and three runs. Josh Holskey also
had an effective day at the dish as he finished 3-for-4 with four
runs scored and three RBI.
Also pacing the Camels were Stephen Parsons and D.J. Johnson. Parsons finished with two hits, three runs and
one RBI. Meanwhile, Johnson had three hits
in four at-bats and had four runs and two RBI.
Campbell scored 23 runs on 21 hits, which sets a season high for
runs scored; the previous high was 22 runs which the Camels scored
on April 9th against Belmont.
Campbell's 21 hits are tied for the second highest total this
season. Campbell also had 21 hits in a 17-3
victory in February victory over UNC Greensboro; the season high is
22 hits which the Camels had against Savannah State on April
4th.
Campbell 13, Alabama A&M 3
(DH Game 2)
After getting off to a fast start in game one of the two seven
inning affairs, Campbell struggled out of the gate in game two.
Alabama A&M jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning,
thanks to a pair of doubles and a triple.
The Camels failed to record a hit the first two innings of the
game, but finally broke through in the third. With Ellis Lowe standing on third and Ryan Hamme on
first, Matt Keen (Four Oaks, N.C.) hit a double to the right center
field gap allowing Lowe to score. Lowe's run
cut the deficit to 2-1.
Campbell took the lead in game two, a lead they did not give up, as
they scored six runs in the top half of the fourth inning. The fourth inning was started by a Josh Holskey
double to left center, followed by Bryan Braswell (Rocky Mount,
N.C.) reaching on an error by the Bulldogs second baseman. D.J. Johnson and Chris Bangi drew back to back
walks which allowed Josh Holskey to score the tying run. Bryan Braswell scored on a passed ball followed
by D.J. Johnson crossing home plate on a Ryan Hamme single. The Camels scored two more runs in the inning to
take a 7-2 lead.
Campbell pushed a single run across in the fifth when Chris Bangi
scored on an Ellis Lowe sacrifice fly. With
that run the Camels owned an 8-2 lead.
Parker Fleming (Lexington, S.C.) got the call on the hill for the
Camels. The freshman right-hander went just
two and one-thirds of an inning giving up two runs on six hits with
two strikeouts.
Jonathon Lopez (Vineland, N.J.) was credited with the victory after
relieving Fleming. Lopez (3-4) pitched 3.2
innings allowing four hits and striking out three.
The Camels would conclude their scoring with a five run sixth
inning. The sixth inning was capped by an
Ellis Lowe triple that allowed two runs to score, as well as a Ryan
Hamme solo home run. The home run by Hamme
was his fourth of the season.
The Bulldogs scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to
conclude the scoring and giving the Camels a 13-3 victory.
Josh Fish (Bellingham, Wash.) pitched the final inning on the bump
for Campbell. Fish allowed one run on one
hit in the final frame.
Chris Bangi, Ellis Lowe and Ryan Hamme paced the Camels at the dish
in game two. Chris Bangi finished 2-for-2,
three runs, two RBI, two hit by pitches and a base on balls. Ellis Lowe had a single and a triple with three
runs and three RBI. Finally, Ryan Hamme
finished with three hits (one home run), two RBI and two runs
scored.
With the game two victory, Head Coach Greg Goff recorded career
victory number 200. Goff led Montevallo to
152 wins over four seasons (2004-07) including a pair of
appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Goff led Montevallo to the 2006 College World Series
and the team finished ranked number three in the seasons final
poll. Goff has 48 victories in less than two
seasons as the skipper of the Camels. In the
two seasons prior to Goff's arrival, the Camels won just 30 games,
including an 11 win campaign in 2007.
Campbell will conclude its regular season schedule on Thursday and
Friday. The Camels will entertain conference
foe USC Upstate at Taylor Field in an important conference series;
a series that has Atlantic Sun Baseball Tournament
implications. The Camels and Spartans will
play a single game on Thursday starting at 4 p.m. The series will conclude with a doubleheader on Friday
beginning at 1 p.m.