FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – No. 18 Campbell clinched the season series over No. 10 ECU with a 2-1 win Thursday night at Segra Stadium. The Fighting Camels already owned one win over then-No. 11 ECU in Buies Creek on Feb. 21.
Campbell improves to 16-3 with the win, while ECU drops to 16-5. This is Campbell's second straight season with a top-10 win, having topped No. 8 NC State a season ago.
The pitching duo of
Hunter Loyd and
Aaron Rund shined on the night, holding the Pirates to six hits with the lone run scoring in the eighth inning.
Loyd got the start and pitched five shutout innings, though not without a little struggle. Loyd worked around a leadoff triple and bases loaded jam in the first getting a big strikeout to end the threat. The righty walked the bases loaded with two outs in the third but again escaped unharmed. He finished with a line of 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K.
Campbell opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Belbin and Pierson led off with a pair of hits to set up a productive groundout by
Tyler Halstead to plate Belbin and put the Camels up 1-0.
Trenton Harris added Campbell's second run in the third inning with a solo home run to left, his second of the season.
Aaron Rund relieved Loyd and went the rest of the way, but he too faced some threats. Rund saw runners reach second or third base in three of his four innings of work. The only run he surrendered was a two-out pinch-hit single in the eighth from Ryan McCrystal.
ECU put a runner on second with one out in the ninth, but Rund induced a fly ball and caught the final batter looking to end it and take the series.
Campbell spread five hits across five different players on a night when offense was at a premium. The Camels did not draw the walks they were accustomed to, going without a single free pass on the night for the first time this season, and the first time since Mar. 6, 2022 against Pittsburgh.
The Camels now embark on a four-game road trip, starting with a Big South series at Radford this weekend. They'll stay in Virginia two extra days to face William & Mary on Tuesday. All three games this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+.
