BUIES CREEK, N.C. — Michael Horrell went eight innings with four strikeouts and no walks to lead the Fighting Camels to a 6-2 win over Radford Saturday night at Jim Perry Stadium, evening the Big South weekend series at 1-1.
Horrell held the Highlanders to just two earned runs on six hits to move his Big South record to 5-0 and his overall record to 6-1.
Radford starter Derek Domecq suffered the loss, going 2.2 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on a hit and three walks.
The Camels had a trio of two-hit performances, one each by Grant Harris, AJ Hrica and Collin Wolf. Harris and Hrica paired their base hits with doubles, while Wolf had a two-run single in the bottom of the third and a leadoff single in the fifth for his 15th multi-hit game this season.
Matthew Barefoot, Luis Gimenez and Spencer Packard each collected base hits against Radford pitching, rounding out Campbell's nine hits on the night. Gimenez also walked twice, reaching base safely in three of his four at-bats.
Campbell jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom half of the third. Harris kept Campbell's half of the third going with a two-out, four-pitch walk before Gimenez followed with a five-pitch walk. Packard was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Wolf, who drove in Harris and Gimenez with a single up the middle. Koby Collins followed Wolf by lining a 0-1 pitch into left field, and the ball was dropped by the left fielder, which allowing Packard to score from third.
Radford responded with two runs in the top of fourth on a two-run home run from J.D. Mundy, trimming Campbell's lead to one, 3-2; however, the Camels scored their final three runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull away with the 6-2 win.
Marcus Skundrich led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and then two batters later, Harris doubled down the right-field line, putting a pair of Camels in scoring position for Gimenez with two away. Gimenez reached on an infield single to the shortstop, which drove in Skundrich from third.
With Harris at third, Gimenez also moved into scoring position on his second stolen base of the night. Packard drove in the pair with a two-run single up the middle, but he was caught in between first and second, ending the frame.
Following the two-run fourth, Horrell pitched the next four innings. In the fifth, he got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam with an infield fly and flyout to center field. The senior right-hander allowed just two hits over his final three frames, making way for fellow classmate Tyson Messer to close out the game in the top of the ninth.
Messer struck out the side in order to secure the win and finish his sixth game of 2019.
With the win, Campbell (22-13, 11-3) moved two games ahead of Radford (17-17, 9-5) in the Big South standings. The Highlanders are in a tie for second place with Presbyterian (17-18, 9-5), just a game ahead of Winthrop (18-15, 8-5).
The rubber match between the Fighting Camels and Highlanders is set for Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m.
