BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Fighting Camels defeated East Carolina, 3-2, for the fifth consecutive time and for their first win of the 2025 season Tuesday night at Jim Perry Stadium in front of a capacity crowd. The win is also the first win under new head coach Chris Marx.
 
Freshman utility player Jett Music pitched the final 2.2 innings and earned the win for Campbell (1-3) after playing in left field. He faced the minimum eight batters and recorded six strikeouts in his collegiate debut.
 
The five game winning streak over the Pirates (2-2) is also notable because each win has been by one run.
 
Music scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning, reaching home on an RBI groundout from Jonah Oster.
 
Darnell Parker Jr. started the scoring in the second inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded to score Ben Karpowicz.
 
ECU took the lead in the fourth inning, 2-1, with some help from defensive miscues by the Camels. Colby Wallace started the inning by drawing a walk, and three consecutive errors by the Camels allowed Wallace to score and added two more base runners. Alex Bouche came around to score on a Nick Parham RBI groundout to give the Pirates the advantage.
 
After the fourth inning, however, the Camel bullpen controlled the game by allowing only three base runners in the final four innings. Mason Smith provided a solid start going four innings with five strikeouts and just the single earned run.
 
As a unit, the CU pitching staff struck out 13 batters while giving up just three walks and allowing only two hits.
 
Cooper Clark was first out of the bullpen in the fifth. He allowed a single and a double but did not allow the runners to score after forcing a groundout to the shortstop.
 
Ethan Snyder replaced him to start the sixth inning, and he recorded a groundout and two strikeouts to quiet the Pirate offense.
 
Snyder forced a fly out to start the seventh, but Music replaced him on the mound after Snyder hit the second batter of the frame. Music recorded a fly out and a strikeout to prevent any more damage.
 
The bottom of the seventh began with a hit-by-pitch from Parker Jr. before ECU put Brad Pruett on the mound. Music singled through the left side put two runners on base.
 
Andrew Schuldt came to the plate and with a 2-2 count, fired a double down the left field line to score Parker and move Music to third, where he would subsequently score on the RBI from Oster.
 
After starting the eighth inning with a fly out, Music went on to strike out the final five batters of the night (four swinging, one looking) to secure the win for the Camels.
 
UP NEXT
The Camels continue their nine-game home stand with a series against Rider. The series begins on Friday with a first-pitch time scheduled for 5:00 at Jim Perry Stadium. Radio broadcast will be available on The Varsity Network.
 
Attendance: 1,121     
 
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