BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell's softball team (10-13) returns home
for the first time in a month and will host a pair of doubleheaders
this week at the Eakes Athletic Complex. Included in this week's
games are the first Atlantic Sun Conference games of the team's
final season in the A-Sun. The Camels are slated to begin the week
and take on North Carolina Central in a doubleheader on Thursday,
March 17, at 4 p.m. CU will then host conference foe Mercer for two
games on March 19 starting at noon.
The Camels had a 2-3 week over the team's spring break in Arizona.
CU lost the team's first two games and then rallied to win two of
the final three games during the Diamond Devil Invitational. One of
the stories of the weekend was the return of the team's power.
Campbell stopped a homerless drought of 10 games and homered six
times during the week. Junior catcher Taylor
McGee led the offensive charge with seven hits, three home runs
and seven RBIs. Senior shortstop Amanda
Miller returned from injury and knocked in a career-high six
against Howard (3/12). Freshman Raven
Lee picked up six hits and a home run plus three RBIs during
the team's games in Arizona. Head Coach Drew
Peterson passed the 300 win mark at Campbell with the team's
7-6 win over Creighton on March 11. After starting the first 188
games of her career at second base, senior Keeli
Michael moved across the diamond and started all five games at
third for Campbell at Arizona State.
North Carolina Central (4-14) is on a six-game losing streak and
has not played since March 8th after the team's doubleheader with
Barton College scheduled for last week was cancelled. The Eagles
lost a pair of games to Furman by 8-0 scores last time out.
Freshman Cember Carmichael has made an immediate impact and leads
the team with her .356 batting average, 16 hits and eight RBIs.
Junior Andrea Searls also has 16 hits and is second on the team
with eight runs scored. Sophomore Nadia Jefferies leads the team
with 10 runs scored and is tied for the team lead with five stolen
bases. Fellow sophomore Mae'Risha Watts is also tied for the team
lead with five stolen bases. Sophomore Kayla McPeek has been the
team's most durable starter with 59.2 innings thrown. The Eagles
are 0-7 away from home this season. Campbell leads the all-time
series between the schools 4-0 and has outscored NCCU 56-5 in those
four games. CU established a runs record in the team's 26-1 victory
over the Eagles during the 2009 season. Campbell defeated North
Carolina Central twice by 11-2 scores in 2010 with Taylor
McGee totaling six hits and nine RBIs during the sweep.
Mercer (16-8) is off to the team's best start since 2008 when the
team also won 16 of the first 24 games. The Bears went 4-1 last
week including a pair of wins over Samford. Freshman Randi Rea was
named the Atlantic Sun's Player of the Week on Monday after hitting
three home runs with nine RBIs last week .Leading the offensive
attack for Mercer is junior Sara Stukes, who is hitting .393 with
26 hits, seven doubles, five home runs and 27 RBIs. Rea has also
been a major contributor with six home runs and 23 RBIs. Seniors
Kari Chambers and Jenni Holtz have been the top hurlers. Chambers
has won seven games with a 1.69 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 66.1
innings thrown. Holtz has eight wins and 74 strikeouts in her 62
innings worked. Campbell leads the all-time series with Mercer
26-20. The two schools split the regular season doubleheader in
2010 with Mercer winning the first game 1-0 in 10 innings and
Campbell taking the second game by a 2-0 score. Campbell defeated
Mercer 1-0 twice in winning the 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference
Championship. McGee provided the late heroics in each game with
solo game-winning home runs.
Next, the Camels continues the homestand and have one of the
busiest weeks of the year with eight games over a six day period of
time starting with the team's doubleheader against Charleston
Southern on March 22nd at 4 p.m.
