SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Logan Heintzman struck out nine across five innings of relief to earn his third win of the season in Campbell's 9-6 triumph over USC Upstate in the series opener Thursday night.
Heintzman appeared in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded and no outs. He issued a bases-loaded walk but also got all three outs by way of a strikeout. Over the next four innings, Heintzman faced 19 batters and retired 12 of them, striking out six. In total, he walked three and allowed four hits on one earned run.
All nine batters in the Campbell starting lineup scored a run and each collected at least one base hit as the Camels finished with 10 hits. Koby Collins led the way, going 2-for-4 with a single and an RBI double for his fifth multi-hit outing of the season.
Both Luis Gimenez and Tyler Anshaw had two RBI in the win. Gimenez had a two-run double in the second inning, good for his Big South-leading 14th two-bagger of the season. Anshaw drove in his two runs on a single and squeeze bunt.
Grant Harris had Campbell's third extra-base hit, collecting an RBI double in the fifth.
The Camels push across four runs on four hits and an error in the top of the second. Anshaw got the inning started with a one-out single into right field. Collins reached on an error and Cameron Witt singled to the shortstop, loading the bases for Ty Babin with one away.
Babin grounded into a fielder's choice that erased Anshaw at the plate, but one batter later, Hrica singled up the middle, scoring Collins and Witt. Gimenez followed suit with a two-run double into the left-field gap, pushing across Babin and Hrica, and putting the Camels ahead 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, USC Upstate's Julian Rip led off with a double. He advanced to third on a groundout to short and then scored on an RBI groundout to second.
With a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth, Gimenez reached on a one-out hit by pitch. He stole second and then scored on Harris' RBI double before Spencer Packard drove in Harris on an RBI single.
With Collin Wolf on third and one away, Anshaw laid down a squeeze bunt and reached on a fielder's choice as the first baseman made a throw for the plate, but Wolf slid in before the tag. The final run of the inning came on Babin's RBI single to the shortstop that scored Anshaw from third.
Campbell's eight-run lead dwindled to four, 9-5, in the bottom of the fifth. The Spartans scored four in the frame as the first six batters reached. Heintzman came in with the bases loaded and no outs, and did issue a base-loaded walk, but posted three strikeouts to end the inning.
USC Upstate scored its sixth and final run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single.
Senior lefty Phil Simpson tossed the first four innings, allowing eight hits on five earned runs and a walk; he tied his season-high by striking out four.
USC Upstate starter Jordan Marks suffered the loss, allowing all nine runs (five earned) on nine hits.
Game two between the Fighting Camels and Spartans is scheduled for Friday, April 19 at 6 p.m. at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
