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DURHAM, N.C. – Cedric Mullins homered twice and drove in five to power Campbell over North Carolina Central 11-8 Wednesday night at the Durham Athletic Park.
Campbell (28-20) scored in double figures for the sixth time this season to top NCCU (19-28). CU scored in double digits for the first time since scoring 13 in a win at UNC Wilmington on March 18.
Mullins homered in the second and the sixth, becoming the first Camel to hit two home runs in a game since Michael DeLucia hit a pair in a win over Appalachian State in Thomasville, N.C. in 2013.
A junior from Snellville, Ga., Mullins ended the night going 3-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored.
Mullins crushed a go-ahead grand slam in the second after NCCU scored three in the first inning. The grand slam was part of a six run inning for the Camels. Austin Beard, who posted two hits in the second inning, and Brian Taylor also knocked in runs in the inning to put Campbell up 6-3.
Campbell sent 11 to the plate in the 6-run frame.
After scoring another run on a Beard RBI single in the fourth, Mullins launched a 2-out solo homer over the wall in right in the top of the fifth, putting CU up 8-4.
The teams traded three apiece in the sixth, and the Eagles notched another run in the eighth on Christian Triplett's RBI single, cutting the Camel lead to 11-8.
Bobby Thorson entered to pitch in the ninth for Campbell, closing the door for his second save of the season.
Coley Thompkins (4-2) earned the win in relief, going 5 2/3 with four runs, one earned, on seven hits, two strikeouts and a walk. CU starter Wes Noble recorded an out, allowing three runs on three hits with two walks.
Chris Walkerow and Nathan Arp bridged the gap for the Camels in the win.
Cameron Scalzo (2-3) took the loss for NCCU, allowing five runs, four warned, on four hits with a strikeout in 1 1/3. The Eagles used six hurlers, with Blake Morgan and Andrew Vernon working a scoreless final three innings.
Beard went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run for the Camels, while Taylor drove in two and scored twice, going 1-for-4 with a RBI double in the sixth.
Triplett led the Eagles with a 3-for-5 night, driving in three and scoring once on his two-run homer in the first.
Campbell returns to Jim Perry Stadium this weekend, stepping outside of Big South play for a three-game set with Pac-12 member No. 9 California. The Camels will open their series with the Golden Bears on Friday at 6 p.m., following with a Saturday doubleheader at 2 p.m.
