Campbell Upsets (9)ECU 7-6
Luis Gimenez’s walk-off base hit with runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning proved to be the game winner for Campbell in a 7-6 victory over (9)ECU Wednesday night.
It took a while for ECU to finally get warmed up in cold, rainy Buies Creek before Bryson Worrell’s three-run shot off of Campbell reliever Matt Barefoot in the eighth inning cut a four run Campbell lead to just one at 4-3.
Tyson Messer then walked three straight Pirates in the ninth before ECU scored another run when Thomas Francisco hit into a double-play with the bases juiced and no outs.
Alec Burleson’s first career home run in the ninth then scored a pair of Pirate runs to tie the game at 6-6. That after Matthew Christian’s eighth inning three-run shot over the left centerfield wall in Jim Perry Stadium had already given Campbell what looked to be a more than adequate working margin at 6-3.
But the Camels wouldn’t go away and Wyatt Tyson(1-0) came on in relief to pick up the win for Campbell(2-2). Zach Barnes took his first loss of the season for nationally ranked ECU(3-1).
Both pitchers went three and a third innings.
It wasn’t the best recipe for a win for ECU. Bryant Packard was out again for the second straight game for ECU with a hand injury. Spencer Brickhouse missed most of this game, leaving with an apparent back injury while swinging the bat in the fourth.
But both teams remained scoreless until Mathew Barefoot’s sacrifice fly in the third inning on a deep pop fly to centerfield brought Cameron Witt across the plate to give Campbell a 1-0 lead.
Seth Johnson lasted for four innings of scoreless baseball in his first start for the Camels before sidearm pitcher Landry Moore came on in the top of the fifth. Gavin Williams went four innings for ECU yielding one run with seven strikeouts and a walk in his first career start before Trey Benton came on in the bottom of the same frame.
All told, the Pirates used six pitchers while Campbell used seven.
A base hit from Collin Wolfe added a run in a 3-0 contest with Campbell still leading in the fifth inning
With the bases loaded in the seventh, Matt Barefoot’s sac fly off of ECU reliever Evan Voliva brought home another Camel run to extend the lead. Then A.J. Hrica reached on a throwing error from Voliva, scoring Mathew Christian. It looked like Campbell was in business.
That was until Bryson Worrell’s three-run bomb in the eighth off of Campbell reliever Matt Barefoot suddenly cut the Camel lead to 4-3. It was Worrell’s second homer of the season.
But Campbell wouldn’t quit. Matt Christian’s second homer of the year in the bottom of the eighth extended the Camel lead to a field goal heading into the ninth inning.
The Pirates will return to action this Friday at 4 o’clock, weather permitting, to open a three-game series against Monmouth.
