HIGH POINT, N.C. – Top-seeded Campbell dropped its opening game of the Ingles Big South Championship 7-6 to fifth-seed Charleston Southern. The Buccaneers tagged Thomas Harrington for a season-high seven runs to hand the sophomore just his second loss of the season.
 
The Camels will now try to work their way out of the losers bracket, needing to win four games in the next two days for the Big South title. That journey begins tomorrow at 11 a.m. against an opponent to be determined.
 
Campbell jumped to an early lead on a Zach Neto sac fly to plate Jarrod Belbin in the first. But CSU answered with five unanswered, getting one in the second inning and four in the third. The four-run third saw the Buccaneers hit four singles along with a walk and HBP from Harrington.
 
Harrington settled in and still worked into the eighth on a season-high 112 pitches. He allowed two in the eighth after a single and error put two on that came around to score.
 
Campbell manufactured three in the sixth to even the score at 5-5 at the time, using a couple of bunt singles and a wild pitch to help plate three runs.
 
The Camels nearly tied the game in the ninth after Neto connected for an RBI double with nobody out, but two ground outs and a pop-up left the tying run stranded 90 feet away.
 
Neto finished 3-4 with 2 RBI to bring his average to .402 on the season. Waldy Arias also tallied three hits, including a solo home run in the fourth, his fourth of the season. Campbell had 12 hits on the day in addition to six free passes, but hit just 5-23 with runners on and left 10 on base.  
 
Tomorrow's first pitch is slated for 11 a.m. back at Truist Point. Campbell awaits the winner of tonight's game at 7 p.m. between UNC Asheville and the loser of USC Upstate vs Gardner-Webb.