BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Starting pitcher Jake Murray threw a career-high 14 strikeouts and did not allow a hit, leading the Camels to a 6-1 win over Texas State Friday night at Jim Perry Stadium.
 
The left-hander from Wendell, N.C., threw six innings of no-hit ball and struck out 14 of the 21 batters he faced, besting his previous career-high of nine that he set in 2023.
 
Murray also allowed one walk and hit two batters, and his record improved to 1-1 this year. The victory is also the first of the year for Campbell on a Friday night.
 
Jesus Tovar started for the Bobcats (7-6), and his record is now 0-1 after surrendering four runs to the Camels (5-9) in the first two frames.
 
Darnell Parker Jr. started the bottom of the first with a hit-by-pitch, his team leading eighth HBP this season. Dalen Thompson jumpstarted his offense with a bunt single to put two runners on with no outs.
 
Andrew Schuldt connected on his 3-1 pitch, hitting his third home run of the year to give CU the early 3-0 lead.
 
Thompson added another run in the second inning with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Jett Music.
 
Thompson led the Camels at the plate, going 3-4 with three RBI. He was the only player with multiple hits for Campbell, who ended the contest with seven as a group.
 
Murray's strong performance continued through the middle frames, facing the minimum in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
 
Lleyton Grubich came on in relief of Murray to start the seventh inning, and he pitched the remaining three innings to earn his first save of the season. He recorded two strikeouts, marking the second time this year Campbell has combined to strike out 15 or more batters (2/25 vs. Duke).
 
The Camels recorded their final two runs in the sixth inning off the bat of Thompson once again. With the bases loaded and two outs, he connected on the 0-2 pitch and sent a single to center field, scoring Music and DJ Akiyama, who entered earlier in the inning as a pinch hitter.
 
Tovar pitched five innings and faced the first batter in the sixth, reaching a pitch count of 105. Hayde Key, Dylan Kerbow and John Alkire each threw one inning of relief out of the bullpen for Texas State.
 
The Bobcats recorded their first hits in the seventh inning, and they finished the game with five. After Cameron Thompson reached by way of catcher's interference, Cole Tabor grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to erase Campbell's only error on the night.
 
Ian Collier singled through the left side for the first hit of the game for Texas State, and Chase Mora followed with a two-out double. Grubich induced a lineout from Zachary Gingrich to leave the two runners stranded.
 
Texas State's lone run came in the eighth inning off the bat of Auston Eaton, who sent a solo home run over the wall in left. A 5-4-3 double play by the Campbell infield cleared the bases prior to Eaton's at-bat, limiting the potential danger.
 
Grubich struck out the first two batters in the top of the ninth before Collier recorded his second hit of the night. Mora followed with a fielder's choice ground ball to Parker Jr. at shortstop, and he flipped it to second baseman Jonah Oster for the final out of the game.
 
UP NEXT
The teams face off in game two of the series tomorrow afternoon, beginning at 3:00 at Jim Perry Stadium. An audio broadcast of the action will be available through The Varsity Network and GoCamels.Com.
 
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