BUIES
CREEK -- Campbell received a masterful pitching performance from
Jeff Rydman and scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull
to within one but the rally fell just short as Campbell dropped a
close contest to Longwood, 5-4, on Friday night at Taylor
Field.
The first eight
innings was a pitcher's dual. Lance Harting and Rydman both gave
up a good amount of hits in their outings but left the runners
stranded as the pitching staffs kept the score tied at two heading
into the top of the ninth.
Longwood (21-17)
started off the last frame by placing runners at first and second
base with no outs. Brant Jones bunted into a fielder's choice in
which Campbell reliever Daniel Gardo fired to third base to
retire Robbie Bailey. That marked the end of the contest for Gardo
as he yielded to Jonathon Lopez. Lopez's first batter faced was
Casey Havers who flew out to center field.
The Camels
(24-22) then intentially walked Phil Cerreto to load the bases with
two outs. Lopez worked his way to a 2-1 count and got David Smiy
to send a grounder to Kevin Nelson but Nelson lost the ball in his
glove and wasn't able to make the throw to first in time to record
the final out of the inning. More importantly that mishap
allowed Scott Kimble to score the go ahead run.
With Longwood up now
3-2, Dustin Sollars came up to the plate and sent a two RBI double
to right center field to push the Lancers ahead 5-2. Campbell was
able to record the final out as Smiy tried to advance home
following the double but was tagged out by Bryan Braswell.
In the bottom half of
the frame Campbell rallied as Cameron Nelson singled, Chris Bangi
walked, Bryce Grady pinch hit and hit a single to load the bases
with no outs. Ellis Lowe sent a towering fly ball to deep center
field that allowed Nelson to tag up and score to push the Camels to
within two. Bangi was able to advance to third on the fly ball as
the senior moved to third.
Alan Denman then sent
another towering fly ball to center field that allowed Bangi to tag
up to bring Campbell to the final margin of 5-4. But the Campbell
threat ended as Zach Johnson struck out to end the contest.
Neither starter on
the mound recorded the decision as Jeff Rydman posted the longest
outing of his career, lasting 7.2 innings, while allowing two
earned runs off of 11 hits. Rydman didn't walk a batter and struck
out three in his appearance. Longwood starter Lance Harting lasted
6.1 innings, while giving up two earned runs off of ten hits.
The loss for Campbell
was charged to Daniel Gardo as the southpaw lasted two-thirds of an
inning and gave up two runs, neither of which were earned, off of
two hits. Gardo falls to 1-3 with the loss.
Mark Montgomery
posted the win for the Lancers as the righty lasted 2.2 innings,
giving up two earned runs off of just two hits.
The Camels were led
at the plate by Cameron Nelson who posted a 3-for-4 night with a
RBI and two runs scored. Ellis Lowe went 2-for-3 with two RBI and
knocked his 25th double of the season which brings him to within
four to tie the single season mark set in 2009 by Zach Johnson.
Campbell will be back
in action at Taylor Field in doubleheader action against Longwood
starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
