GREENVILLE, N.C. – No. 14 Campbell scored three in the ninth to win a wild game 14-13 and sweep the season series over No. 15 East Carolina Tuesday night in Greenville. Campbell now owns three one-run wins over ECU this season.
The win is Campbell's 40
th of the season, with Campbell now at 40-11, while ECU falls to 38-15. The season sweep marks the first time Campbell has beat ECU three times in a single season in program history.
The lead changed four times and was tied once all from the fifth inning on. Campbell led by as many as six and saw that turn into a two-run deficit heading to the ninth, before the bottom of the order kickstarted a three-run ninth to win it.
Jarrod Belbin got the Camels started with a bang, launching a two-run shot in the first inning, and quickly following with a solo blast in the third to put Campbell up 4-0. His third multi-home run performance of the season raised his total to 17 for the year, now two shy of his mark last season.
Campbell pitching flirted with danger early on, forcing ECU to leave eight on base in the first four frames without allowing a run.
That streak ran out when ECU took the lead with a five-run fifth inning that included a two-run single and two-run home run. The frame started with three free passes issued by
Cade Boxrucker to set up the big inning.
The Camels wasted no time in retaking the lead with two in the sixth thanks to
Logan Jordan's RBI single and Knipp's squeeze bunt to put the Camels up 6-5.
Campbell was far from done, exploding for a five-run inning of its own in the seventh, scoring all five with two outs.
Lawson Harrill started things with a big three-run home run to put the Camels up 9-5. The next four batters strung together four more hits to score two more and put Campbell up 11-5 by the stretch.
Once again ECU had the answer in the home half, this time scoring six to tie the game at 11-11. The big blows in the inning were a two-run double and a three-run home run from Josh Moylan. ECU logged five hits in the inning and benefited from three walks as well.
Moylan came through for the Pirates again in the eighth with a two-run double to put ECU ahead 13-11.
The Camels went to the ninth trailing by two with 7-8-9 due up in the order. After a
Logan Jordan infield hit, Knipp and Weller both tagged back-to-back doubles to tie things up.
Bryce Arnold put the Camels ahead with a productive groundout.
Jackson Roberts was then called on to work the ninth. The true freshman allowed a single and walk, and a wild pitch put the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position. Roberts wasn't phased and induced a flyball to right to cap the wild night and earn the win for both himself and Campbell.
ECU went through eight pitchers on the night, while Campbell used six.
Jake Murray worked two scoreless in his start, while Campbell jumped on ECU started Garrett Saylor for four runs in 3.1 innings.
Jarrod Belbin led the way at the dish with three hits, three runs, and three RBI.
Logan Jordan also had a three-hit day, while
Lawson Harrill and
Grant Knipp each drove in three runs.
Campbell now turns its sights back to Big South play and visiting USC Upstate for a three-game series with the regular season yet to be decided. Campbell owns a two-game lead in league standings, and needs one win over the Spartans to claim the outright regular season crown. That series gets underway Thursday on ESPN+.