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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Senior Heath Bowers collected a school record 15 strikeouts and Campbell won its eighth in a row, 4-2 over Bowling Green, Friday at Jim Perry Stadium.
The Camels improved to 11-2 on the year, while BGSU dropped to 3-4 overall.
Bowers' 15 punchouts broke the Campbell single game record of 14, owned by Chuck Urban (4/9/1986), Cory Satterfield (3/21/88) and Aaron Miller (4/22/97).
The senior's 24th career win also tied him for second with Wes Hepler (1999-02) on the Campbell career victories list. Bowers stands just two wins shy of Cory Satterfield's (1985-88) all-time mark of 26.
Bowers improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing eight hits with two runs, one earned, and just one walk in a complete game effort, the third of his career.
The Lillington, N.C. native struck out at least one Falcon in eight of his nine innings, fanning the side in the second and picking up three more in the ninth. Bowers also punched out two in the third, fourth and sixth.
Bowers owned a previous career high of 13 strikeouts, coming in a complete game shutout win over Presbyterian last season.
Andrew Lacinak (1-1) took the loss for Bowling Green, allowing four runs on six hits with two strikeouts in 6 1/3. Devin Daugherty pitched 1 2/3 scoreless, retiring all five of his batters faced.
After a scoreless first three frames, Bowling Green jumped on the board with a two-run top of the fourth, with Trey Keegan's RBI double to score Brian Bean, who led off the inning with a single. Keegan then scored as teammate Matt Smith was picked off before Bowers' eighth strikeout ended the inning.
Cedric Mullins put the Camels on the board with the first pitch of the bottom of the inning, smashing his second homer of the season over the wall in left.
Campbell knotted the game at 2-apeice with JD Andreessen's RBI single down the leftfield line, scoring Steven Leonard, who led off the inning with a base hit to center.
Still tied 2-2 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Leonard came through with a solo home run, his second, to give CU a 3-2 edge. Anthony Lopez followed with a single, scoring on Kyle Leady's double to make it 4-2 Camels.
Game two of the series will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, wrapping up with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.
Campbell is scheduled to make its first appearance away from Buies Creek next Tuesday, March 10 at East Carolina. So far, CU has seen four away contests canceled or moved to Jim Perry Stadium due to weather conditions.
Following the short trip to ECU, the Camels return home, opening Big South play with Longwood on March 13.
