BUIES CREEK, N.C. – For the second-straight game, sophomore shortstop Ericka Nesbitt (Salisbury, N.C.) registered a walk-off hit, this time a two-RBI single to center in the fifth, to secure the 9-1 five-inning victory against Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
Campbell (17-8, 3-0 Big South) opened the league schedule with a three-game sweep of Gardner-Webb (17-8, 0-3 Big South) to take over first place early in the conference standings. The Camels tallied six runs on five hits in the fifth to implement the eight-run rule.
A pair of 2-for-3 performances were recorded by junior first baseman Raven Lee (Battlesboro, N.C.), who connected on a three-run homer in the fifth, and freshman catcher Courtney Klingler (Alvin, Texas), who notched a double and two RBI. Lee now takes over the team lead with eight round trippers and 29 RBI on the season.
The Bulldogs received two base knocks from leadoff hitter Samantha Meenaghan. Savannah Burns drove in Kellie Beres with a single through the left side to put Gardner-Webb on the scoreboard in the top of the first.
Campbell's pitching staff came through when it mattered most as junior starter Olivia Scarborough (Buies Creek, N.C.) worked out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the first. Coming on in relief in the second with the bases full and two out was sophomore Julia Callicutt (Asheboro, N.C.), who notched a fly out to retire the side.
Callicutt (4-1) went on to pick up the victory, yielding just one hit in 3.1 innings of work and fanning three opposing hitters. The loss was credited to Alyssa Gutierrez (1-2), who tossed 4.2 innings and gave up six hits.
A sacrifice fly in the first by senior right fielder Sarah Forgacs (Cary, N.C.) proved to be the game-winning run for the Camels. The first of four RBI by Lee was registered in the third on a single down the left field line the plated sophomore center fielder Stephanie Jones (Black Mountain, N.C.), who drew a career-high three walks.
Head Coach Drew Peterson made a change at the top of the order with freshman left fielder Haley Haselden (Aynor, S.C.) scoring twice and recording a base hit in the second slot. Sophomore third baseman Brittany Bruce (Lumberton, N.C.), who went 3-for-3 in game one, was bumped down to the same eighth spot where she notched a base hit in the finale against the Bulldogs.
The Camels welcome South Carolina to Amanda Littlejohn Stadium on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. The Gamecocks are the first SEC-foe to visit Buies Creek, N.C., since South Carolina in 2004.
Campbell returns to Big South action on Friday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Coastal Carolina. The finale of the three-game set is on Saturday at 1 p.m.
