BUIES CREEK, N.C. - The Camels split their Big South opening doubleheader against the Winthrop Eagles on Saturday, Mar. 19. The Eagles took the first game of the afternoon with a slim final score of 4-3 before the Camels offense would explode in the second game-winning the game in five innings, 17-3.

By splitting the doubleheader Campbell's overall season record moves to 8-10 and 1-1 in the Big South, with Winthrop going to 13-12 on the season overall and 1-1 in the Big South.

Game 1 - Winthrop 4, Campbell 3
Campbell would threaten early in the game but would leave runners in scoring position stranded in both of the first two innings.

The Eagles would open the games scoring though, as they put up two runs in the third inning off two RBI singles from third baseman Lauren King and pitcher Madyson Watson to take a 2-0 lead.

The Camels would strike back though in their half of the third putting up three runs of their own. Senior Bri Bryant would triple to left-center to lead off the inning before Destini England would single during the next at-bat to score Bryant. 

Later in the inning, Winthrop's Watson would walk the bases loaded before hitting Campbell's Kayla Fredendall scoring England from third to tie the game at two.

Freshman Delaney McDilda would bring in the final run for the Camels with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Claudia Ware from third, giving the Camels a 3-2 advantage.

However, the Camels lead would not last long as Winthrop would take it back in the next inning. The Eagles' Macy McCall would be able to get a bases loaded two-out single to center field scoring two before the inning ended as an Eagles runner would be tagged out at third on the play seeing the score move to 4-3 for the visitors.

The Camels would not be able to create any more offense in the game only getting two more runners in the final four innings with the final score ending 4-3 for Winthrop.

Madyson Watson (6-5), got the win in the circle for the Eagles, going for a complete seven innings, giving up three runs off seven hits, and getting nine strikeouts.

Megan Richards (3-2), took the loss for Campbell, giving up four runs (two earned) of five hits getting three strikeouts in five innings of work.

Game 2 - Campbell 17, Winthrop 3 (5 inn.)
The Camels offense would catch fire in the cold evening air, going for 17 runs, a single game high so far this season.

The offensive explosion would start early with four runs being scored in the bottom of the first by CU.

Kayla Fredendall would bring in Destini England with an RBI single to center field before Noemi Cortez would hit her first home run of the season, taking a first-pitch fastball deep over the left field wall for three runs pushing the lead to 4-0 for the Camels.

Winthrop's Macy McCall would homer in the third inning though, to get two runs back for the Eagles cutting their deficit in half.

Campbell would blow the game open in the third inning though posting seven runs in the frame with five Camels getting RBIs.

Destini England would triple to left to lead off and was brought in by Claudia Ware's single to left field before Cortez would earn her fourth RBI of the game with a single to left to score Ware.

The Camels would then work the bases load and capitalize as Diana Parker was hit by a pitch to score Kayla Fredendall, and Hunt's sacrifice fly to right field would be deep enough to score Danielle Northrup to make the score 8-2 Campbell.

England would then get a two-RBI single in her second at-bat of the inning, and Bri Bryant would score the final of the inning, coming in from third on a wild pitch.

Winthrop would go to the long ball once again in the fourth inning as Ansley Gilreath would have a solo shot to left field for Winthrop's final run of the game.

Campbell would tack on six more runs in the bottom of the fourth pushing their lead to 14 runs by the end of it.

The first of those runs would come from a Delaney McDilda RBI single through the left side of the Eagle infield to score Alexa Pagano.

The Camels would then see the bases loaded again before England would be walked to bring McDilda for England's third RBI of the game.

Ware would then clear the bases with a triple to right-center scoring the Camels final three runs.

CU would go on to close out the game with a strikeout to end the top half of the fifth to end the game as the run-rule had been met.

Georgeanna Barefoot (4-4), got the win for CU pitching five complete innings giving up three runs off two hits while getting seven strikeouts in the outing.

Winthrop's Aisha Weixlmann (5-6), took the loss giving up seven runs off five hits only getting the one strikeout.

On Deck
Campbell and Winthrop will have the series rubber match tomorrow, Mar. 20 at 1 p.m.