LYNCHBURG, Va. – The top-seeded Fighting Camels scored seven runs across the seventh and eighth innings to run past No. 8 seed Longwood 8-1 in the opening round of the 2018 Big South Tournament Tuesday night at the Liberty Baseball Stadium.

The contest spanned a total of six hours and 24 minutes, as a two-hour, 34-minute lightning delay put the game on hold in the bottom of the third. The first pitch crossed the plate at 5:53 p.m. Tuesday evening, while the final out was recorded at 12:17 a.m. early Wednesday morning.
 
Campbell (32-23) advances to the winner's bracket of the conference championship and will face the winner between Winthrop and Gardner-Webb on Thursday, May 24 at noon. Conversely, Longwood (17-37) will take on the loser between the Eagles and Runnin' Bulldogs in the last game of the day on Wednesday, May 23. 

Redshirt-sophomore outfielder Matthew Barefoot (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI) led the Camels offensively with his second consecutive three-hit performance. Freshman designated hitter Ty Babin (2-for-4, 3B, RBI) also logged a multi-hit outing with a triple and an RBI single Tuesday night.

Logan Bender (5-1) earned the win in relief, as the Big South Freshman of the Year tossed 2.0 scoreless frames with three hits allowed, one walk and two strikeouts. Redshirt senior Allan Winans held the Lancers off the board over 3.0 innings before the lightning delay cut his outing short as the Campbell starter.

Longwood's Tommy Green (2-2) took the loss, surrendering two earned runs on four hits over 4.1 innings of relief. The freshman righty tossed 96 pitches, collecting six strikeouts and four walks for the game.
 
Fresh out of the weather delay, Campbell got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the third. Bryce Myers (1-for-3, 2 R, 2B) – who led the inning off with a double to right center – came home on a wild pitch from Green to put the Camels up 1-0.
 
Longwood evened the score with its only run of the night in the top of the sixth, as right fielder Eric Crain (1-for-4, HR, RBI) cranked a solo home run to straight-away center.
 
The Camels retook the lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. After Tyler Anshaw (0-for-3, RBI) drew an RBI walk, Babin knocked a ground ball through the middle to score Barefoot and put CU ahead 3-1.
 
Campbell posted five runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by four-straight RBI hits from the top of the Camel lineup. Barefoot roped an RBI double down the left field line, followed by Jeff Hahs (1-for-3, R, RBI) and Christian Jones (1-for-4, R, RBI) who knocked back-to-back RBI singles through the left side. Zach Minnick (1-for-4, RBI) wrapped up the RBI-hit streak with a bloop single to center that plated Hahs. Jones scored the final run of the night, sneaking home after a throw that was attempting to catch Minnick stealing second.

Campbell closer Tyson Messer struck out two in the bottom of the ninth before a groundout to first base ended the game.
 
The Camels will continue Big South Tournament action Thursday, May 24 at noon, facing either Winthrop or Gardner-Webb at the Liberty Baseball Stadium. The Eagles and Runnin' Bulldogs are scheduled to play Wednesday, May 23 at 9:30 a.m.

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