GREENVILLE, N.C. — The third-seeded Campbell University Fighting Camels used a four-spot in the first inning and a gem thrown by Michael Horrell to top the No. 15-ranked and second-seeded NC State Wolfpack, 5-4, in the NCAA Tournament Greenville Regional opener on Friday afternoon/Saturday afternoon at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Campbell jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by Koby Collins' two-out, two-run home run, and Michael Horrell struck out a career-high 11 batters while issuing no walks over seven innings.
Horrell (10-3) earned his 10th win, becoming just the fourth pitcher in program history to earn 10 victories in a single season and the first since Heath Bower in 2014. The senior allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits in his first NCAA Tournament start.
Campbell was held to just four hits for the first time since April 12, but NC State committed three errors, issued six walks and gave up a hit by pitch, allowing Campbell to pull away with its first NCAA Tournament win since 2014.
Collins, Matthew Barefoot, Luis Gimenez and Spencer Packard each had a hit in the win. Barefoot scored two of Campbell's five runs, and Collins drove in two. Collins also drew two walks after hitting his two-run homer, reaching base safely in three of his four plate appearances.
At 4 p.m. on May 31, and with Campbell leading, 5-4, in the middle of the ninth, the game was suspended until June 1 at noon due to inclement weather.
Landry Moore took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. He dealt a flyout to right field for the first out before issuing a walk to Terrell Tatum, who stole second base. One pitch later, Moore got the second out by way of strikeout before a ground out to Collin Wolf at third base secured the victory.
Senior right-hander Tyson Messer he appeared in the bottom of the eighth and dealt a pair of strikeouts and groundout after Horrell allowed a leadoff home run that cut Campbell's lead to one.
Barefoot reached on an error by NC State shortstop Will Wilson, one of the three errors the ACC Defensive Player of the Year committed on the day. Barefoot moved over to second on a Tyler Anshaw groundout and then scored the first run of the ballgame on Gimenez' RBI single up the middle.
Packard kept the inning going by doubling down the left-field line, placing runners on second and third with one out for Wolf, who drove in Gimenez from third with a sacrifice fly to center field.
On the immediate next pitch, Collins sent a no-doubt, two-run home run over the left-field wall, capping Campbell's four-run first inning.
NC State scored three unearned runs on two hits and two errors in the bottom of the third, trimming Campbell's lead to one, 4-3.
The Camels responded with a run in the next half inning to go back ahead by two. Barefoot singled with one away and then advanced to second on another Wilson error; the ball scurried into the outfield, allowing Barefoot to move to third. He scored one pitch later on Anshaw's sacrifice fly into right field.
Horrell retook the mound in the bottom of the fourth with a 5-3 lead and dealt his first of three consecutive 1-2-3 innings. After retiring 10 straight batters from the fourth through sixth innings, Horrell allowed a leadoff single in the seventh; however, he faced three pinch hitters and fanned them all on strikes for his ninth, tenth and eleventh strikeouts, preserving Campbell's 5-3 lead.
Nearing 115 pitches, Horrell returned to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He gave up a solo home run to NC State's leadoff batter Jonny Butler immediately before play was halted at 2:21 p.m. due to lightning in the area.
After an hour and 20 min delay, Messer took the mound with NC State's two-three-four hitters due up. He fanned the first batter, got the second looking and then allowed a two-out hit by pitch, but a groundout to second would end the eighth.
Exactly 24 hours after the original first pitch, at 12:06 p.m., Moore dealt a scoreless bottom of the ninth to advance the Fighting Camels to the winners' bracket of the Greenville Regional. Campbell awaits the winner of Saturday's contest between No. 1 ECU and No. 4 Quinnipiac. An updated schedule is below.
2019 GREENVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
AS OF NOON, SATURDAY, JUNE 1
Friday, May 31 – Saturday, June 1
Game 1 – Campbell 5, NC State 4
Saturday, June 1
Game 2 – No. 1 ECU vs. No. 4 Quinnipiac @ 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 2
Game 3 – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 @ noon.
Game 4 – Campbell vs. Winner of Game 2 @ 4 p.m.
Game 5 – Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 @ 8 p.m.
TBA
Game 6 – Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 @ TBA
Game 7 – If Necessary @ TBA
