BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Camel offense was never able to find its rhythm Saturday afternoon at Jim Perry Stadium as Campbell (1-1) fell 5-1 to App State (1-1).
 
It was a true pitcher's duel for seven innings. Campbell starter Cade Kuehler allowed just one hit across seven innings of work and struck out 10. Kuehler posted a line of 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 Ks. His counterpart, Xander Hamilton, carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with an almost identical line of 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 Ks.
 
App State got on the board first with an unearned run off Kuehler, scoring via a pair of throwing errors, one committed by Kuehler and another by Neto.
 
The Mountaineers tacked on a pair in each the eighth and ninth innings to push the lead to 5-0.
 
The Camels only offensive spark of the game came in the ninth but proved to be too little too late. After a pair of leadoff walks, Connor Denning drove in Campbell's only run of the ballgame with an RBI single and set up second and third with nobody out. But Campbell couldn't draw any closer as App State closer Eli Ellington dug in and got the next three outs.
 
Denning and Zach Neto were responsible for Campbell's only two hits on the day, while Campbell struck out a combined 15 times and were granted only three free passes.
 
Ty Cummings and George Ferguson each made their season debut's on the bump, with Cummings tossing 0.2 innings and Ferguson the remaining 1.1.
 
Campbell and App return for the rubber match tomorrow at 1 p.m. That game will be streamed on ESPN+.