BUIES CREEK, N.C. – No. 28 Campbell used four run sixth and seventh innings to finish the regular season with a 9-6 win over visiting New Orleans Saturday at Jim Perry Stadium.
Campbell will take a 46-9 overall record into next week's Big South Championships. UNO finished its 2013 campaign 7-44. The win marked Campbell's ninth in a row, tying a season best.
Campbell took games one and two of the series 14-0 and 6-0. The Camels are 11-1 in three game series this season. CU also finishes its 2013 31-5 at the new Jim Perry Stadium, setting a new school record for home wins.
Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Will Albertson, Ben McQuown and Brent Graham all singled to lead off the inning, loading the bases with none out before Michael Felton's sacrifice fly put the Camels on the board.
David Olson followed with his third home run of the season, a three run shot to left, to make it 5-4.
After a scoreless top of the seventh, Nick Ray led off the home half of the inning with a hit. Albertson doubled the senior home to knot the game at five-all. Graham and Elijah Trail also posted RBI base hits in the inning, and Olson scored his second run of the game on a UNO error to give Campbell the 8-5 lead.
The teams traded runs in the eighth, with Zacary Hawkins' solo homer to right and McQuown's RBI single.
The UNO run broke a streak of 29 1/3 innings for Campbell reliever Ryan Thompson without an earned run. The streak dated back to April 5. The home run was the first allowed by Thompson this year, and only the fifth extra base hit.
Thompson earned the win in relief to move to 8-0 on the season, allowing a run on four hits with three strikeouts in three innings.
CU starter Hector Cedano went 4 2/3, allowing four runs on nine hits with four punchouts and a walk. Matt Marksberry bridged the gap, allowing a run on a hit with two walks and a strikeout.
Stone Speer of UNO was charged with the loss, allowing two runs on two hits with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning. Alex Smith pitched 5 1/3, allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts, while Raymond Winter gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits in an inning.
Garrett Manning also allowed a run in 1/3, while Kyle Blancaneaux pitched a perfect 2/3 of an inning.
Albertson, a freshman from Sophia, N.C., went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI. McQuown and Graham ended the day with two hits and a RBI each, with Graham scoring twice. McQuown picked up his 49th stolen base of the season in the win.
Trail and Felton also drove in runs for the Camels.
Morgan Barger paced UNO, going 3-for-5 with a RBI. Seth Laigast, Reese Kanter and Cameron Keener also recorded two hits and knocked in one.
The Big South Championships begin Tuesday in Lynchburg, Va. The Big South Conference will release final pairings for the tournament bracket later today. The Camels have locked in the No. 1 seed in the tournament, capturing the BSC North Division title with a 19-5 league record.
