BUIES CREEK, NC – The Camels (3-2) left 11 runners on base and could never get the timely hit they needed tonight as they fell 5-4 to Dayton (1-4). Matthew Christian and Connor Denning each went deep, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback after trailing 4-0 early.
 
Campbell pitchers struck out 16 Flyers, but defensive miscues cost the staff three unearned runs on the evening and proved to be the difference in the ballgame. Thomas Harrington got the start and struck out four, as did Tyler Cummings in just two innings of work. Jonathan Tyler pitched the eighth and ninth and recorded five of his six outs via strikeout.
 
Dayton got on the board in the third, after back-to-back errors plated three runs. The first was a throwing error on a pickoff attempt that plated a run, followed by an error on a ground ball that scored a pair.
 
A well-executed suicide squeeze in the fourth inning pushed another run across for the Flyers and made it a 4-0 ballgame.
 
Christian wasted no time getting a run back in the bottom of the frame, taking the second pitch of the inning deep to left for his second home run of the year. Christian also tripled off the top of the wall in the sixth and singled in the seventh to finish a double shy of the cycle.
 
Dayton added one in the sixth on an RBI single before Marcus Skundrich got that run back quickly with an RBI single of his own in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Campbell's best chance to tie or take the lead came in the bottom of the seventh. After Dennign led of the inning with a home run, his first of the year, the Camels loaded the bases with just one out. Lawson Harrill produced an RBI on a check-swing groundout to score a run and move the runners up a station. With two down, Skundrich hit one hard, but in range of Mitchell Garrity in center field who slid under it to end the threat and strand a pair with Campbell trailing 5-4.
 
The Camel offense couldn't get anything else going in the final two innings and fell 5-4.
 
Andrew Zapka was credited with the win for the Flyers after pitching the final 2.2 innings allowing just one hit and no runs.
 
Tomorrow's rubber match will be a Sunday matinee, set for a noon first pitch. Jonathan Beymer is expected to take the mound for the Camels. That one will again be available on ESPN+.