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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Grant Yost pitched eight innings and Anthony Lopez drove in two to lead Campbell past Virginia Tech 3-1 Monday in the CU Invitational finale at Jim Perry Stadium.
Campbell moved to 5-2 on the season with its third victory of the four-game tournament, while Virginia Tech fell to 3-4 overall. The Camels finished the Campbell Invite 3-1, while Virginia Tech went 1-3. Rider posted a 2-2 weekend in Buies Creek.
Yost (1-1), an Appleton, Wisc. native, pitched eight innings in his second start of 2015, retiring 21 of his first 22 batters, allowing only a leadoff hit in the third. Following the hit, no Hokie reached until a leadoff walk in the top of the eighth. The junior finished with eight strikeouts and two walks, allowing a run on two hits.
Campbell manufactured a run in the first with a Lopez groundout scoring Cedric Mullins, who led off with a double and was sacrificed to second by Steven Leonard.
The Hokies tied it up in the third when Ryan Tufts scored on a wild pitch after beginning the frame with a base hit to center.
Yost retired 14 in a row following the hit.
With two out in the top of the eighth, VT's second walk of the inning, plus a base hit, loaded the bases, but Yost's eighth punchout of the night, fanning Hokie leadoff man Saige Jenco shut down the surge.
In the bottom of the frame, Brian Taylor led off with a bloop single to right, and Austin Beard followed with a single to give Campbell two on with none out. After a fielder's choice, a Leonard walk loaded the bases for Campbell with one out.
Lopez, a junior from Vineland, N.J., then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Beard to give CU the 2-1 edge. The next pitch sailed behind Kyle Leady at bat, allowing Mullins to score on the wild pitch, putting Campbell ahead 3-1.
Cole Hallum closed out the ninth, allowing a pair of hits with a strikeout for his first save.
Virginia Tech's Sean Kennedy (0-2) took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits with a walk in an inning of relief. VT starter Kit Sheetz pitched seven innings, allowing a run on two hits with three strikeouts.
Through its four Campbell Invitational games, CU pitching fashioned a stingy 1.00 ERA, surrendering just four earned runs in 36 innings of work and limiting opponents to a .171 average. Camels recorded 32 strikeouts to 11 walks.
Campbell travels to UNC Wilmington on Tuesday for its first road test of the season. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. at Brooks Field. The Camels return home on Feb. 27, hosting the Fighting Camel Classic at Jim Perry Stadium, featuring Miami (Ohio), Maryland-Eastern Shore and Furman.
