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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Heath Bowers dealt eight innings and Matt Parrish drove in three to lead Campbell past No. 23 California 5-3 in the three game series opener Friday night at Jim Perry Stadium.
Campbell (29-20) picked up its first win over a ranked opponent since 2012, topping the Golden Bears (29-16).
Heath Bowers (8-4) went eight frames, allowing just an unearned run after a CU error in the fourth, scattering nine hits with four strikeouts. Making his 13th start of the year, Bowers, a senior from Lillington, N.C., did not walk a batter for the third time this season.
Bobby Thorson pitched the ninth for Campbell, allowing two runs, one earned on Mitchell Kranson's solo homer. CU entered the ninth with a 5-1 lead before the short Cal rally.
Daulton Jefferies (5-3) went the distance in the loss for Cal, allowing five runs, all earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
Parrish put the Camels on the board in the first with a RBI single up the middle, then added to the lead with a two-run double in the third to make it 4-0 Campbell. Parrish went 2-for-3 in the win with a season-best three RBI.
Parrish plated junior centerfielder Cedric Mullins on both RBI hits. Mullins was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, doubling in the first before adding base hits in the third and fifth.
Kyle Leady and Anthony Lopez added two hits apiece for the Camels. Leady's RBI infield single started Campbell three-run third.
Lucas Ercep went 3-for-4 with a RBI for the Golden Bears, while Nick Halamandaris was 2-for-4, scoring once.
The series continues with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
The Cal series marks Campbell's first time hosting a Pac-12 program, playing its first and only Pac-12 opponent since Stanford in the 1990 Palo Alto NCAA Regional.
Campbell will close out the regular season at home May 14-16, hosting Big South rival Coastal Carolina. Action begins Thursday at 6 p.m. Saturday's finale will be televised on the American Sports Network at 4:30 p.m.
