BUIES CREEK, N.C. — The Fighting Camels pieced together 22 hits, including 12 extra-base hits to down the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in blowout fashion, 21-1, on Saturday afternoon at Jim Perry Stadium.
Matthew Christian (5-for-6, HR, 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R) led the way with a three-run home run and a double, while driving in seven of CU's 21 runs. Tyler Anshaw (3-for-3, 2B, 3B) finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle and Luis Gimenez (3-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R) drove in four runs to up his season total to 19 RBI. Collin Wolf (1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R) hit his team-high fourth dinger, while driving in three runs; he leads the Camels with 21 RBI this season.
Including Christian, Anshaw and Gimenez, seven Camels posted multi-hit outings. Matthew Barefoot (2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI), Spencer Packard (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI), Koby Collins (3-for-5, 2B, 3 R) and Ty Babin (2-for-5, 3 R) rounded out CU's multi-hit performances. All nine Campbell starters logged a hit in the win; AJ Hrica (1-for-5, 2 RBI, R) joined the offensive explosion with a single, which moved his on-base streak to 11 games.
Senior righty Michael Horrell (3-1) earned his third win of the year, striking out six across 6.0 innings. The Thomasville, N.C. native faced 23 batters, retired 18 of them, allowing just two hits, one walk and one hit by pitch. He sat down the Bulldogs in order twice, once in the third and once in the fifth.
UNC Asheville's starter Blake Brown (2-1) collected the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits; he walked five batters.
The Camels struck first in the first inning as Anshaw tripled into right-centerfield with one away and then scored two pitches later on Gimenez' RBI single into left field. Two batters later, Wolf drew a walk, upping his on-base streak to a Big South-high 22 games.
Campbell scored its second run of the game on a ball-four passed ball. Barefoot watched ball four as the ball scooted past the catcher, allowing Christian to score from third.
Campbell's 2-0 lead ballooned to a 9-0 advantage after the first offensive explosion of the game. Gimenez led off the frame with a four-pitch walk and then capped off the seven-run inning with an RBI double. The inning featured six hits, two doubles; five of CU's hits were with two outs.
Christian launched a three-run dinger in the fourth inning to up Campbell's lead to 12-0. The long ball was the junior's third as a Fighting Camel.
Despite Anshaw leading off the fifth inning with a double, the Camels were held to their first scoreless inning in the fifth. However, the inning was one of CU's five innings that the leadoff reached base safely.
With a trio of singles, a trio of doubles, a triple and a home run, the Camels combined to hit for the cycle in their nine-run sixth inning, moving their lead to 21-1. Wolf hit his team-leading fourth home run in the frame with a two-run shot that clinked off the left-field foul ball. The frame was capped by Christian's two-out, two-run double, which accounted for his sixth and seventh RBI of the game.
Sunday's rubber match between the Fighting Camels and Bulldogs is set for Sunday, March 24 at 2 p.m. at Jim Perry Stadium.
