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BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Cole Hallum hit a home run in the top of the ninth after Gardner-Webb had cut the lead to 5-4 and also earned his eighth save of the season as Campbell took the series opener 6-4 over the Runnin' Bulldogs on Friday evening at J.H. Moss Stadium.
Campbell (26-18, 9-10 Big South) snapped an eight-game skid with the victory, while Gardner-Webb (19-27, 5-14 Big South) dropped its fifth straight contest.
Heath Bowers (7-4) went seven innings to earn the win, scattering eight hits and giving up four earned runs while walking a pair and striking out seven.
Hallum entered with one out in the eighth and held the Runnin' Bulldogs scoreless to pick up his eighth save of 2015.
Gardner-Webb's Erik Heiligenstadt (4-5) was chased after four innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, four of which were earned, while walking three and striking out one.
GWU struck first in the bottom of the first, with Collin Thacker driving in Ryan Hodge, who led off the inning with a single to center field.
The two sides remainded scoreless over the next two innings before the Camels broke out for five runs in the top of the fourth. Seth LaRue and Matt Parrish began the inning with a pair of singles before a balk by Heiligenstadt advanced the runners to second and third. Austin Beard's double to right center plated both to give Campbell a 2-1 lead.
Three batters later, Steven Leonard added to the Campbell lead with a sacrifice fly to plate Beard, and Cedric Mullins' single to left sent Brian Taylor across for a 4-1 advantage. A fielding error by Hodge capped the inning's scoring, allowing Mullins to score and giving Campbell the 5-1 edge.
A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth sent Gardner-Webb's Will Canady across to cut the deficit to 5-2, and Hodge's double in the seventh hit in Tyler Best to cut Campbell's lead to 5-3.
The Runnin' Bulldogs came within one in the eighth after a second bases-loaded walk scored Sam Fulginiti, but Hallum's homer in the top of the ninth helped the Camels seal the win.
Mullins finished 3-for-4 with a double for Campbell, while Beard batted in a pair with his double in the fourth; both also scored a run apiece for the Camels.
Hodge went 2-for-4 for Gardner-Webb with an RBI and a run scored, and Thacker batted in a pair while going 1-for-4.
Campbell and Gardner-Webb will continue their series on Saturday and Sunday, with both games set for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.
The Camels will head to North Carolina State (Tuesday, May 5) and North Carolina Central (Wednesday, May 6) before returning to Jim Perry Stadium for a three game set with Pac-12 member California.
