STATESBORO, Ga.- On Saturday morning the Camels started off play by dropping a contest to Binghamton, 9-8, a game filled with multiple errors on both sides. However, it would be a walk-off grand slam by Binghamton's Sarah Miller to win the game for the Bearcats.
Game One: Campbell- 8, Binghamton- 9
The Camels bats were swinging early, as senior Ericka Nesbitt was able to capitalize early on from an error by the third baseman to put the Camels ahead.
Stephanie Jones, the senior from Black Mountain, N.C., then had a single to third base and was able to advance two bases on an error by Binghamton's first baseman and left fielder, which scored Nesbitt and catcher Bailey Bjorson. On the very next play, Chandler Patterson continued her hitting streak with a double to score Jones. It would be Patterson's third double of the season.
However, the Bearcats would quickly tie the game up over the next two innings, scoring two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings when catcher Lisa Cadogan doubled into center field to score Jessica Rutherford.
Tori Griffin then tied the game up in the sixth inning after Bjorson gave up a sacrifice fly. The game looked to be at a standstill, until the Camels were able to break it open in the top of the seventh inning, which finished the way it started with Jones, Womack, and Nesbitt all scoring off of errors to push the Camels out of reach for the Bearcats.
Nonetheless, it would be Binghamton's starting pitcher who would slam a walk-off homerun to score three in the bottom of the seventh to drop the Camels.
Cara Martin was credited with the win for the Bearcats. Junior Courtney Roberts took the loss for the Camels, regardless of striking out five early on in the contest.
Game 2: Campbell- 6, BC- 4
During game two against Boston College during the Eagle Classic, the Camels hit three over the fence in a 6-4 win against Boston College, beginning with Lia Batchelor's bomb into left center off of Boston College's starting pitcher Jordan Weed.
Weed would give up some more big hits, as she allowed back-to-back doubles from Womack and Jones. On the very next at bat, first baseman Chandler Patterson put a charge in the third pitch she saw to tack on her fourth home run of the season through six games.
Patterson said, "I've been working really hard in practice, picking good pitches and making good contact getting my hands through the ball."
The Camels weren't finished however, as senior left fielder Camise Patterson earned her first homerun on the season in the same inning. The Camels found themselves ahead 6-1, but Boston College was able to add on two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings after Weed and Tatiana Cortez were able to score off of hits from Jordan Chimento and Annie Murphy.
The Camels played stellar defense in the field as well, leaving ten of Boston College's runners on base compared to their two.
As far as pitching is concerned, senior Julia Callicutt got the win on the mound for the Camels, pitching five innings before Courtney Roberts took over and was able to close out the game, despite a late home run from Eagle's Chloe Sharabba.
Quote from Coach Bradley:
"Overall it was a good weekend. We let one get away against Binghamton, but I feel like we are the best team at the tournament. I'm proud of the girls for bouncing back. Sometimes that's hard to get back into it after a disappointing loss, so the girls have always shown fight all year and we got some clutch hits and Courtney did a great job of coming in for relief of Julia and Julia gave us all she had for the first part of the game so I'm pleased with the weekend. Three and one, it's a pretty good weekend. We still have a chance to win this tournament, so just get a little bit better next week and go play Elon on Wednesday."
