BUIES CREEK, NC – Campbell swept Saturday's double-header to take the series and hand the USC Upstate Spartans their first two losses of the season. The Camels walked it off 4-3 in game one and used timely pitching to escape multiple jams to hang on for a 4-2 win in game two.
With the wins, Campbell moves to 9-5 overall and 4-2 in Big South play. USC Upstate falls to 11-2 and 4-2 in the league.
The Campbell bullpen played a key role in each win. For the day, five guys out of the bullpen combined to post a line of 11.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 Ks.
GAME 1 RECAP
Campbell got down early after USC Upstate posted a three-spot in the top of the fourth courtesy of a three-run home run from Julian Rip.
The Camels responded with a run in the bottom of the frame on a groundout by
Collin Wolf to plate
Waldy Arias who doubled earlier in the inning.
Campbell struck for two more to tie the game in the sixth on a
Spencer Packard sac fly and a
Matthew Christian RBI single. Campbell had a chance to take the lead in the same inning, but left the bases loaded.
With no more scoring until the ninth, the Camels had a chance to walk off. Arias was hit by a pitch with one out to get aboard. After taking second on a wild pitch he moved to third on a groundout by
Connor Denning. Standing 90 feet away, a passed ball was all he needed to hustle home for the winning run.
Campbell walked it off for the first time since beating Quinnipiac in the bottom of the ninth at the Greenville Regional in 2019.
Arias seemed to be everywhere for the Camels, reaching three times in the game and scoring three runs. Christian notched two hits to start breaking out of his mini-slump.
Harrington started on the mound and allowed three runs and seven hits across 4.1 innings. Cummings replaced him and was stellar, retiring the first eight batters he faced and throwing 3.2 innings allowing just one hit. Kuehler tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the win.
GAME 2 RECAP
Campbell got down early in game two as well following a solo shot from Adam Grob in the second and an RBI single in the fourth to put the Spartans up 2-0.
Campbell put up a picket-fence on the scoreboard across the fourth to seventh innings to slowly get back into it and take the lead. It started with a Christian RBI double in the fourth.
Denning tied the game with his team-best fifth home run of the year, this one a solo shot to right. Packard followed suit in the sixth hitting a solo shot to nearly the exact same spot in right field to give Campbell the lead. His second of the year was tagged at 107 mph off the bat, tying for the Camels hardest hit home run of the season.
Up by one, Waldy lifted a shallow fly ball to right center that was hauled in by a back-pedaling second baseman.
Marcus Skundrich read the play well and tagged up to score and add an insurance run to the Campbell total.
The biggest moment of the game felt like it came in the top of the eighth.
Zach Neto allowed the first two runners of the inning to reach ahead of the 3-4-5 spots in the Spartan order. A 3-2 curveball caught the inside corner for a looking strikeout for the first out and a deep fly ball advanced the lead runner for the second out. With guys on the corners, Neto picked up another strikeout to strand the pair and preserve the 4-2 lead.
With Neto rolling along, he came back out for the ninth and worked a three-up-three-down inning to shut the door and earn the win.
The Campbell pitching staff worked through jams all night and managed to get Upstate to leave 15 runners on base in the second game and a total of 22 for the day.
Collin Wolf continued to dazzle in the field, with a few more web gems on the day. He's now committed only one error on the season having started every game at either third base or shortstop. He leads the team with 38 assists and has posted a .981 fielding percentage.
Campbell heads to Winthrop Tuesday for its first road-action of the season in Big South play. With the unique season format this season, this will be the first of a handful of one-off midweek games against Big South opponents. After Winthrop, the Camels will be on the road next weekend at UNC Asheville.
