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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Steven Leonard went 5-for-5 and Will Albertson drove in three runs to lead Campbell to a 7-4 win at Coastal Carolina, clinching the No. 3 seed in next week's Big South Championships.
Campbell moved to 35-17 on the season and 18-7 in Big South play, while Coastal Carolina dropped to 22-31 overall and 12-13 in conference games.
The Camels secured the No. 3 seed in the Big South's tournament, and the runner-up position in the North Division standings behind No. 1 seed Liberty. The No. 2 seed will go to the South Division winner, in a race between Coastal, Winthrop and Charleston Southern.
Game one of the series was canceled Thursday due to inclement weather. The series will conclude Saturday with a noon start.
Leonard, a redshirt sophomore catcher, produced the Camels' first five-hit day of the season, also scoring three times and driving in one. Albertson went 3-for-4 with a season-best three RBI, driving in Leonard twice.
CU starter Heath Bowers (9-2) pitched four innings, striking out four with just three hits. Only one Chanticleer advanced past first base in his four scoreless frames. He did not walk a batter.
Bobby Thorson tossed three innings in relief, blanking Coastal in the fifth, sixth and seventh before allowing three runs in the eighth
Ryan Thompson closed it out with two innings pitched, allowing an unearned run on a hit and a walk.
Tyler Herb (6-6) took the loss, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk in 2 1/3.
Chase Adkins and Austin Kerr combined for four innings with three unearned runs, while Mike Morrison was tagged with a pair of runs on three hits, adding a strikeout.
Brock Hunter and Andrew Beckwith combined for a scoreless ninth.
Campbell began its scoring in the first on Albertson's base hit to right, scoring Leonard from second.
Campbell loaded the bases with one out in the third, and Albertson knocked in his second run of the day on a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Leonard again and giving the Camels an early 2-0 lead.
The Camels put three more on the board in the fifth, with Matt Parrish knocking in Leonard and Danny Pardo scoring on a passed ball. Albertson then pushed in Parrish on his second hit of the day, making the score 5-0 Camels.
Pardo and Leonard tacked on two more runs for CU in the eighth on RBI base hits, Leonard's fifth of the game, putting Campbell on top 7-0.
Coastal got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a three run, four hit stanza, capped off by a G.K. Young sacrifice fly.
The Chanticleers threatened again in the ninth, loading the bases with one out after a CU error. Young's second sacrifice fly in as many innings brought Coastal Carolina within 7-4, but two ground balls ended the charge.
Connor Owings, Jake Kane and Anthony Marks all chipped in two hits for the Chanticleers in the loss.
The Big South Championships begin Tuesday, May 20 in Rock Hill, S.C., hosted by Winthrop University, running through Saturday, May 24.
