MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – A strong performance from the Campbell bullpen, paired with a season-high 17 hits, carried the Camels to a 12-7 victory over College of Charleston Friday night at Patriots Point.
 
The Fighting Camels improved to 12-13 and 3-1 in Coastal Athletic Association play. The Cougars now sit at 14-10 and 2-2 against CAA competition. Campbell continued their streak of clutch hitting with seven of today's runs scored with two outs.
 
After the second inning, the Cougars only had three baserunners against the bullpen arms of Drew Siegner, Peyton Brown and Jett Music. Brown earned the win, moving his record to 1-1.
 
Jake Murray got the start for Campbell, and early errors paired with frequent baserunners forced him to be pulled after 1.0 inning and facing four batters in the second. All seven CofC runs were credited to Murray, but only two were earned runs. His counterpart, Jake Brink, was credited with the loss and now sits at 3-2 on the year.
 
Darnell Parker Jr. began the game with a leadoff double down the left field line, and he stole third on the same pitch Dalen Thompson drew a walk.
 
Parker Jr. led the team with four hits on the day, and D. Thompson and Music each recorded three RBI to help pace the offense.
 
With runners on the corners and no outs, Jackson Thompson laid a sacrifice bunt down just in front of the catcher to pull him away from the plate, and Parker scored on the squeeze play while D. Thompson advanced to second.
 
D. Thompson came around to score on a two-out RBI single from Joey Morton to make it 2-0 after the top of the first inning.
 
Charleston took advantage of two errors to put up four runs in the bottom of the first frame, both by D. Thompson. A fielding error helped load the bases, then an errant throw after a sacrifice fly from Ethan Plyler allowed two unearned runs.
 
Two more unearned runs scored for CofC on a bases-loaded two-RBI double from Alex Lacoste, but Payton Frehner was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first base to end the inning.
 
The Camels tied the game with two more runs in the top of the second. With two outs and runners on first and second, D. Thompson singled up the middle to bring home Lukas Schramm and Joe Simpson.
 
The Cougars retook the lead with three runs in the home half of the second. Brent Gibbs led off the frame with a solo home run to left center. Three consecutive walks forced Campbell to the bullpen to replace Murray with Siegner.
 
Siegner forced his first batter, Plyler, to foul out to right field and all runners advanced. The throw from Schramm was on time and on target, but a mishandle from J. Thompson allowed Avery Neaves to score on the play. Dylan Johnson followed that with an RBI single to center field.
 
Campbell continued to battle with a third consecutive two-spot in the top of the third. Morton led off the frame reaching on a fielding error by the second baseman. The next two batters recorded outs before Charlie Meglio worked a walk.
 
Simpson and Parker Jr. each recorded two-out RBI singles to score the two unearned runs and reduce the deficit to just one run.
 
Siegner struck out the side in the bottom of the third to put the first zero on the scoreboard for the night. Peyton Brown replaced him to start the bottom of the fourth, and he also put up a zero.
 
Morton tied the game in the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run over the backside wall in left field. This was the second game in a row he sent a ball over the left field wall, also doing it against Charlotte.
 
Campbell took the lead, 8-7, in the top of the fifth with a sac fly to center from D. Thompson to score Simpson.
 
Brown continued his strong performance on the mound, sitting down the Cougars in order in both the fifth and sixth innings. He went on to do the same in the seventh, retiring 10 consecutive Cougar batters. He allowed only one baserunner in his four innings of work.
 
The Camels lit up the scoreboard again with two runs in the eighth inning. Morton tripled through the gap in left-center, and Music brought him the rest of the way with an RBI single.
 
Schramm singled through the right side, and Music was moving on the pitch, letting him advance to third. Meglio reached on a fielder's choice bunt, and Music beat the play at the plate for the second run of the frame.
 
Music moved from DH to pitcher in the eighth inning, sitting down the side in order with two strikeouts. He followed that by adding his own insurance in the top of the ninth with a two-RBI single to score Schuldt and J. Thompson.
 
The Cougars recorded their first hit since the second inning with a Neaves double in the bottom of the ninth. He advanced to third on a fly out from Pendergrass, but Music struck out Landon Penfield to end the game.
 
UP NEXT
The series continues tomorrow with a 2:00 start from Patriots Point. The action will once again be available to stream on FloCollege.
 
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