FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Campbell scored four runs early and rookie right-handed pitcher Keegan Houser held Air Force off the scoreboard over the final four innings to earn Campbell the 4-1 victory over the Falcons on day two of the Armed Forces Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
The win improved Campbell's overall record to 5-4 while Air Force dropped to 1-9.
Senior lefty Kevin Westlake (2-0) earned his second victory of the season, limiting the Falcons to three hits and just one earned run in the first five innings. He allowed two of those hits and the lone run in the first inning before keeping Air Force off the scoreboard over the next four frames.
Houser entered in the sixth and went the final four innings, earning the save and becoming the first Campbell hurler to collect a save this season. Houser sat the Falcons down in order in the eighth and ninth and finished the day with two strikeouts and no walks.
After being held to just two hits in the win over Army the night before, the Camels pieced together seven hits against Air Force, led by Spencer Packard and Zach Williams, who each had two hits in the win.
Packard, who led the Camels with 20 doubles a season ago, collected his first double of the 2020 season with an RBI two-bagger in Campbell's three-run second inning; he also had a two-out single in the sixth, earning him his second two-hit performance of the season.
Williams also had his second two-hit outing of the year with his pair of base hits, which included an RBI single in the third inning, moving his season total to a team-high 10 RBI.
Matthew Christian, Cruz Aranda and Marcus Skundrich collected one hit each against the Falcons while Skundrich joined Packard and Williams in the RBI column with his own RBI single in the second.
Air Force got on the scoreboard first in the first inning after lead-off batter Ashton Easley hit a double down the left-field line. Easley stole third base with the next batter Tommy Gillman at the plate before Gillman brought him in with an RBI single into left field. Westlake picked off Gillman at first base for the first out of the frame and then struck out Air Force's three-hole hitter and clean-up batter to halt Air Force to just one run in the first.
Williams led off the top of the second with a walk then moved over to second base on a wild pitch. One batter later, Aranda legged out a bunt single, but the throw from the pitcher sailed down the right-field line, allowing Williams to score and move Aranda to second base.
Aranda advanced to third base on a failed pick-off attempt that went into center field before Skundrich brought him in with an RBI single through the left side. Skundrich stole second and third on consecutive pitches and later scored when Packard ripped an RBI double into right field, giving the Camels a two-run lead, 3-1.
Campbell added another run in the third when Christian led off the inning with a walk. He stole second base and scored one pitch later when Williams hit an RBI single into left field.
Westlake and Houser combined to post eight scoreless frames across the final eight innings, only allowing four hits and four walks after Air Force's two-hit, one-run first inning. The duo struck out seven batters in Campbell's fifth victory of the young 2020 season.
Up Next for the Camels
The Camels will cap off the weekend by competing against both Army and Air Force again on Sunday, Mar. 1, first playing the Black Knights at 11 a.m. and then the Falcons at 3 p.m.
Tickets and additional event information can be found on the official Armed Forces Invitational page on the Fayetteville Woodpeckers website.
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