DURHAM, N.C. — Senior shortstop Luis Gimenez pieced together a career-best four hits, batting 4-for-6, to lead an explosive Campbell offense as CU defeated the Duke Blue Devils 12-6 Wednesday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Campbell totaled 17 hits on the afternoon as nine different players recorded at least one hit; also, eight out of CU's nine starters had at least one base hit.
Led by Gimenez' four-hit performance, Matthew Barefoot (2-for-5, 2B, RBI), Tyler Anshaw (2-for-5, RBI), Collin Wolf (2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI), Zach Minnick (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Koby Collins (2-for-5, 2 RBI) also logged multi-hit outings for the Camels. Spencer Packard (1-for-4, RBI, R), Grant Harris (1-for-2, R) and Cameron Witt (1-for-2, RBI) rounded out CU's offense.
Wolf collected three RBI on the day, moving his season total to 18, which leads the team, while Gimenez' 4-for-6 outing upped his batting average from .342 to .366, which is another team high.
For the 11th time this season, the Camels recorded two or more hit by pitches as they were plunked by three pitches from the Blue Devil staff. Campbell leads the Big South with 40 hit by pitches this season, which also ranks 19th nationally.
Campbell left-hander Kevin Westlake (1-1) picked up the win as he tossed 5.1 innings, striking out three and allowing just four runs. Junior reliever Landry Moore earned his third save of the season, pitching the final 3.1 innings with no runs on two hits. The Barton College transfer retired 10 of the 13 batters he faced.
The Camels opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first. Gimenez got the inning started with a two-out single through the right side before Packard kept the inning going by being hit by a pitch. Wolf opened the scoring with a two-RBI double to left field, scoring Gimenez and Packard.
After scoring two in the first, Campbell scored one in third, two in the fourth and fifth, and posted a four-spot in the sixth.
Packard drove in the third run of the ballgame with a two-out RBI double down the left field line in the third. Both Minnick and Harris singled into right center to get the fourth inning started before Collins scored Minnick with an RBI single. Harris scored on a Barefoot sacrifice fly.
Duke scored one in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI double off the wall in the left field. Campbell right fielder Grant Harris made a great catch in foul territory to end the inning, stranding two Devils in scoring position.
Campbell's four-spot in the sixth got started with a double by Barefoot, his sixth of the season. His at-bat was extended when Duke's catcher dropped a fly ball in foul territory. Just two pitches later, he laced a ball off the top of the left field wall.
Barefoot advanced to third on a wild pitch before Anshaw scored him on a base hit into right field. After Gimenez singled and Packard walked, the next three Campbell bats – Wolf, Minnick and Cameron Witt – drove in one run each, moving CU's lead to 11-1.
Duke responded with five runs in its half of the sixth, but Moore was called in in the sixth with the bases loaded and two away and got a flyout to end Duke's five-run sixth inning. The Devils cut Campbell's advantage to six runs, 11-6. The Camels added another run in the ninth on Duke's third error of the game.
Moore came back out in the seventh and threw just five pitches to sit the Devils down in order by way of three flyouts. He sat the Devils down in order in the eighth, and in the ninth, Moore allowed a walk but a pair of flyouts and groundout ended the game.
Campbell returns to action this weekend with a home Big South series against the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. The three-game set is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, March 22-24 at Jim Perry Stadium.
