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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Down a run heading to the bottom of the ninth, Campbell rallied for two, including a suicide squeeze from senior Austin Beard to end it, defeating No. 25 Coastal Carolina 10-9 Thursday at Jim Perry Stadium.
Campbell (30-22, 11-11 Big South) led 8-4 after six innings, but the Chanticleers (34-17, 16-6 Big South) rallied for five runs in the final three frames, including Casey Schroeder's go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth.
Seth LaRue started the rally with a one out base hit, followed by Danny Pardo's pinch hit single. Anthony Lopez tied it up, slapping the first pitch he saw through the middle. After an intentional walk to Brian Taylor, Beard sat a bunt single on the grass down the third base line, plating Pardo for the win.
Campbell reached 30 wins for the fourth-straight year, powering a season-high 17 hits in the Big South series opener over the 25th-ranked Chanticleers. The Camels defeated a ranked opponent for the second time in seven days, topping No. 9 California 5-3 on May 8.
Cole Hallum (1-1) picked up the win in relief for the Camels, working two innings with three runs, one earned, on two hits with a strikeout.
Senior Heath Bowers, making his 50th career start and final at home for the Camels, worked three innings with four runs, two earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Bobby Thorson allowed a pair of runs on four hits in three relief frames, while Coley Thompkins posted a scoreless inning.
Andrew Beckwith (4-4) took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, on 10 hits with a strikeout and a walk in 6 1/3. CCU starter Bobby Holmes was charged with five runs on six hits in two innings. Mike Morrison tossed one pitch in the ninth, the bunt RBI single to Beard.
The teams combined for five first inning runs, with Coastal taking advantage of a Campbell error two early runs before the Camels answered with three in the bottom of the frame, going ahead on LaRue's two-run single.
Campbell went up 8-4 in the sixth on Hallum's second RBI base hit of the night.
Coastal chipped away with two in the seventh, with Conner Owings driving in Michael Paez after his leadoff triple. With two quick outs in the top of the eighth, a Paez double followed by two Campbell errors tied the game at 8-all.
Cedric Mullins, Hallum and LaRue all notched three hits apiece for the Camels, with Hallum driving in three and Mullins scoring three times in the win. LaRue also knocked in a pair, while Beard scored twice to go along with the winning RBI.
Schroeder, Owings and Zach Remillard both knocked in two for the Chanticleers.
The series continues tomorrow with a 4 p.m. start. Saturday's regular season finale will kick off at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast by the American Sports Network.
The Camels will begin play in the 2015 Big South Championship on Tuesday, May 19. The tournament will be hosted by Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C., running May 19-23.
