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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Three Camels notched three hits apiece in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, leading Campbell to a series win over visiting Northern Kentucky to start the 2015 season.
Campbell (2-1) took game one of the day with a 14-hit, 6-2 win over NKU (1-2), while the Norse fended off the Camels 6-5 in the nightcap at Jim Perry Stadium.
In game one, with Northern Kentucky up 1-0 in bottom of the second, freshman catcher JD Andreessen sent his first collegiate first pitch to the wall in left, scoring two and giving Campbell the 2-1 edge.
After NKU knotted it up in the third, on Cole Bauml's RBI double, Campbell snatched the lead back with an Anthony Lopez two-run single up the middle, scoring Austin Beard and Cedric Mullins, who led off the inning with a pair of base hits.
Steven Leonard and Austin Beard added runs in the seventh and eighth to cushion the Campbell lead to 6-2.
Nick Thayer (1-0) earned the win in his Campbell debut, tossing six innings with two runs, one earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. The junior transfer from Overland Park, Kan. retired his final seven batters.
Bobby Thorson picked up the three inning save, allowing a pair of hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Jake Shaw (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in five innings. Evan Korson pitched the final three frames with two runs, one earned, on six hits with a walk.
Mullins, Andreessen and Kyle Leady all picked up three hits, with Mullins scoring twice in the win.
In the series finale, the Norse jumped out to a 5-0 lead, plating three in the first, and one apiece in the third and fourth.
Campbell got on the board in the fourth on Leady's RBI groundout to score Anthony Lopez, who reached on a fielder's choice. The Camels added another in the fifth on a RBI groundout from Jesse Simmons, bringing Seth LaRue home, who doubled to lead off the inning.
The teams matched runs in the sixth, with Bauml scoring on a Campbell error in the top half of the inning. Lopez then scored on Danny Pardo's sacrifice fly to make it 6-3, Norse.
Campbell threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with none out on a Lopez single, Leady walk and a Pardo hit by pitch. LaRue followed by slapping a single, scoring two and bringing the Camels within a run.
A pop out, pick-off and a strikeout ended the rally, however, giving NKU a 6-5 win.
Justin Watts (1-0) earned the win in relief, while Aric Harris picked up the save (1). Starter Wendell Wright pitched four innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits with a strikeout.
Grant Yost (0-1) took the loss for CU, allowing four runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk in three innings. Coley Thompkins made his second appearance of the weekend, tossing 1 2/3 stanzas with a strikeout. Cole Hallum also struck out one and allowed two hits in two scoreless innings.
LaRue went 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run in the loss, while Lopez scored three times, going 1-for-3 at the plate with a RBI.
Bauml paced the Norse in the win, going 3-for-5 with three doubles, a RBI and two runs scored.
Campbell will head to Asheboro, N.C. on Tuesday, Feb. 17 to take on Appalachian State in a neutral site contest at McCrary Park. The Camels return home next weekend, hosting the Campbell Invitational featuring Virginia Tech and Rider.
