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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – No. 23 California rebounded to take the series at Campbell, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader at Jim Perry Stadium. The Golden Bears took game one 4-0 before topping the Camels 9-4 in the nightcap.
Ryan Mason went the distance in a shutout effort in game one before Aaron Knapp and Brian Celsi both went 4-for-5 with two RBI in game two, helping Cal (31-16) win the series over Campbell (29-22).
Campbell topped the Golden Bears 5-3 behind eight innings from Heath Bowers and three RBI from Matt Parrish in Friday night's series opener.
Mason (5-2) allowed five hits with a strikeout and two walks in the complete game shutout.
Nick Thayer (5-5) took the loss for Campbell, tossing a complete game for the second straight week. The junior allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with two punchouts and a walk.
A pair of two out RBI hits from Preston Grand Pre and Nick Halamandaris gave Cal a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. The Golden Bears tacked on two more in the fifth after a Campbell miscue prolonged the inning.
Mason retired his final 10 batters to close it out and benefitted from three double plays in the game, erasing Campbell rallies in the second, third and fifth.
Sophomore leadoff man Aaron Knapp sparked the Bears throughout the night. His one out single in the third started a three-run frame, scoring on Celsi's base hit before Lucas Erceg's two-run homer.
Knapp also drove in runs with a double in the fourth and a single in the eighth, while scoring three times in the win. Celsi added another RBI single in the fourth for the 23rd-ranked Bears.
The Camels went up 1-0 in the first after Kyle Leady doubled and scored on Cole Hallum's base hit up the middle.
CU clawed back with a three-run fifth, rallying again with two away in the frame. Another Leady double, followed by a walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Matt Parrish, who worked a 3-1 walk to push a run home for the Camels.
A Cal error then scored two, bringing the Camels within a pair at 6-4.
Down 9-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Campbell threated again, but with one out and runners on the corners, a pair of strikeouts closed out the Cal win.
Campbell stranded 11 in the game two loss.
Jeff Bain (6-2) picked up the win in relief of Cal starter Matt Ladrech. Ladrech went 4 2/3, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits with a strikeout and three walks. Chris Muse-Fisher tossed three scoreless innings, allowing a hit with two strikeouts.
Alex Schick also worked a scoreless ninth, surrendering a hit and striking out the side.
Grant Yost (3-5) took the loss for Campbell, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 12 hits with five strikeouts.
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.
