HIGH POINT, N.C. — Campbell baseball scored four runs in the first inning and six in the fifth to earn a commanding 13-8 victory over the High Point Panthers in both team's Big South opener on Saturday afternoon at Coy O. Williard Stadium.
Six Camels tallied multi-hit performances in the win, highlighted by Spencer Packard's (3-for-5, HR, 4 RBI) three-hit outing that featured a two-run home run. Senior Zach Minnick (2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI) reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances with a three-run home run, single and a trio of walks.
Junior right-hander Seth Johnson (1-1) picked up the win, tossing 6.0 innings with four strikeouts and three walks. After allowing four runs and five hits in the first inning, the Concord, N.C. native retired 15 of the final 19 batters faced, allowing just one hit over his last five innings.
Andrew Gottfried (0-4) took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
With the win, the Camels moved to 9-8 on the year, snapping their five-game losing skid; Campbell's 1-0 start in Big South play makes it five-straight years the Camels have won game one of their Big South opening series. High Point suffered its ninth loss of the year, falling to 6-9 overall with a 0-1 mark in league action.
Both teams scored four runs in the first inning. The Camels struck first in their half of the inning, scoring all four of their runs with two outs. With Luis Gimenez (2-for-5, 2B, 3 R) on first, Packard reached on a dropped third strike as the catcher's throw sailed into left field, the errant throw allowed Gimenez to score all the way from first.
The inning continued as Collin Wolf (2-for-5, R) singled before Minnick launched a three-run home run, putting the Camels ahead 4-0; however, High Point responded right back in its half of the first with four runs on five hits.
The Camels retook the lead in the third and then added two more to their advantage in the fourth. In the third, Gimenez doubled with one away before Packard drove him in with a single into right field. Campbell's two runs in the fourth were scored courtesy of a pair of RBI singles, one each from Tyler Anshaw (2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Packard.
The Camels dropped a six-spot on six hits in the fifth, scoring all their runs with two outs on the board. Packard's two-run blast, his second as a Fighting Camel, highlighted the inning.
Three Campbell pitchers combined to pitching the final three innings. Senior righty Phil Simpson went 2.0 innings, striking out two, while junior lefty Cole Hart went 0.1 innings with a strikeout. Thomas Coggburn finished the game, getting the final two outs by way of a pair of strikeouts.
Campbell looks to clinch the series over the Panthers on Sunday, March 17 with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Williard Stadium.
