Box Score RALEIGH, NC – Campbell (4-3) fell in a hole early that proved too big to overcome in the first road game of the season as the Camels fell to NC State 14-6 Tuesday at Doak Field.
NC State (3-4) jumped on freshman RHP
Cade Boxrucker early. Possible first inning nerves plagued the freshman in his first career start. Boxrucker surrendered a leadoff home run, single, and another home run to the first three batters he faced. But the Powell, Ohio native settled in and retired the following three batters to limit the damage in the first.
Boxrucker ran into more trouble in the second, loading the bases with nobody out.
Ty Cummings came on to replace him, and got a quick ground ball, but a throwing error plated a pair and was part of another three-run inning for the Wolfpack and had Campbell down 6-0 through two innings.
Cummings threw well for two more innings and worked 3.0 innings allowing only one hit, no runs and striking out four.
Campbell threatened to get right back into it in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and two out,
Zach Williams got ahold of one, but his line drive was tracked down on the warning track in left to end the inning and keep the Camels off the board.
NC State's Willadsen came on in the fourth kept the Campbell offense quiet, as the Camels did not get another baserunner until a leadoff walk to
Bryce Arnold in the eighth.
The Wolfpack blew the game open with a seven-spot in the sixth. There were only three Wolfpack hits in the inning, but Campbell pitching walked five in the frame and there was one error resulting in five earned and two unearned runs. By the time the inning ended, Campbell found itself in a 14-0 hole.
The Camels avoided the shutout with a five-spot in the eighth. Three walks and a hit batter pushed Camels station-to-station and eventually plated Arnold.
Matthew Christian narrowly missed a grand slam, but still had a bases clearing double to plate three. A
Grant Harris RBI single rounded out the scoring in the inning and cut the score to 14-5.
One more run in the ninth on a CJ Peechatka RBI double made it 14-6. Christian again just missed going deep, flying out to the warning track in right center to end it.
Twenty-two Camels got on the field tonight during the game.
Waldy Arias led the way with two hits and a run scored, while
Matthew Christian drove in three and scored as well.
Next on the slate for the Camels is conference play on Friday, when Gardner-Webb comes to Buies Creek. As will be customary this season, Friday's first pitch will be at 5 p.m. with a double-header beginning at 2 on Saturday. Those games will be available on ESPN+.
