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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Hector Cedano tossed his first career complete game to guide Campbell past Gardner-Webb 7-2 Saturday at Jim Perry Stadium, evening the Big South series.
With the win, Campbell moved to 30-15 overall and 13-7 in Big South action, clinching three consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins for the first time in program history. The Camels won a combined 90 games in 2012 and 2013, including 49 last season.
Gardner-Webb dipped to 20-24 on the year and 10-12 in conference play with the loss.
Cedano (6-0), a senior from Miami, Fla., went the distance for the first time in his CU career, surpassing his previous high of 8 1/3 in a 2012 win over Radford. The senior allowed a pair of runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
After surrendering a run on two hits in the first, the left-hander did not allow another GWU hit until the eighth inning. He retired 10 in a row from the second through the fifth.
Cedano is the second Camel to register a complete game this season, joining Heath Bowers, who tossed a shutout against Presbyterian on April 4.
Andrew Barnett (4-3) took the loss for Gardner-Webb, allowing seven runs, five earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3. Mitch Warner and Andrew Massey combed for the final 2 2/3, allowing three hits total.
After GWU took a 1-0 lead in the first on Scott Coleman's RBI single, Campbell answered with a pair in the second. Elijah Trail's double over the head of Tyler Best in left field scored Kyle Leady to put CU on the board. Will Albertson followed with a RBI single to score Trail, giving Campbell a 2-1 lead.
The Camels went down in order in the third, fourth and fifth, but Steven Leonard walked and Matt Nadolski reached on an error to lead off the home half of the sixth.
With one out in the frame, Leady singled to left-center, scoring one. On another Trail hit, Nadolski scored with the help of another Bulldog error, making it 4-1. Albertson again followed with a RBI hit, this time a double. Sam Rector and John Reilly also knocked in runs in the five-run inning for the Camels.
Gardner-Webb tacked on a run in the eighth on JJ Nazzaro's RBI fielder's choice, but Cedano retired the final five batters he faced to end it.
Albertson paced Campbell at the plate with a 3-for-4 night, driving in two and scoring once, while Trail went 2-for-4 and scored twice, also knocking in a run. Leady also scored twice in the win.
The series finale is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. Campbell's nine seniors will be recognized prior to the game.
GWU took the series opener Friday night, rallying for six runs in the top of the ninth to win it 6-5.
The Camels will head to North Carolina next Tuesday, taking on the Tar Heels at 6 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C. CU continues its Big South schedule at VMI next weekend, May 9-11, before wrapping up its home slate with UNC Wilmington on May 13.
